Two Superbugs Cause Majority of Newborn Deaths in Soweto
Over the past decade, researchers from the University of the Witwatersrand’s Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Unit examined tissue samples from 1,586 children under five who died at public health facilities in Soweto, southwest of Johannesburg. The area includes a range of living conditions, from informal settlements to established homes, providing insight into infection patterns likely present in other South African urban townships.
Key Findings on Infections and Mortality
The study revealed that more than half of the deaths among newborns (babies up to one month old) and about a third of deaths in infants (aged one to twelve months) were caused by just two bacteria: Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Both bacteria are increasingly resistant to antibiotics, complicating treatment.
Ziyaad Dangor, leader of the South African segment of the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) study, remarked, "This is not new knowledge, but it’s the detail in the study’s data that’s so valuable."
Implications of the Research
- The findings highlight that many infants die from infections that are preventable.
- Resistance to antibiotics by the two dominant bacteria poses a significant challenge to healthcare.
- The pattern seen in Soweto likely reflects conditions in similar urban township environments across South Africa.
The study emphasizes the urgent need for targeted prevention and treatment efforts to reduce infant mortality caused by these superbugs.
Author's summary: This research uncovers that over half of newborn deaths in Soweto are caused by two antibiotic-resistant bacteria, stressing the critical need for focused infection prevention in similar urban settings.