‘No evidence of presence of superbug' (The Hindu 13 April 2011)

Following the release of a Lancet report alleging presence of a drug-resistant superbug in water supply in the capital, the Union Health Ministry and local authorities held a meeting on Tuesday.

Delhi Government health official R.P. Vashisht noted that though there were reports about the finding of a drug-resistant superbug in the capital, there was no evidence of any increase in water-borne diseases or of patients becoming resistant to drugs. There was no evidence of even clustering of diseases, he said.

“There is need to check and counter-check the evidence presented to us. The Indian Council of Medical Research is doing scientific research to understand and provide evidence of the presence or absence of the superbug in the city. During the meeting we reviewed the situation in the capital and found that nothing unusual has happened in the city since the report by an international health journal. All the Delhi government agencies concerned have joined together to monitor the situation,” Dr. Vashisht said.

New Delhi Municipal Council Medical Officer of Health P. K. Sharma said it was decided that water surveillance and monitoring mechanisms be further improved and emphasis laid on proper chlorination of water.

“The NDMC gets DJB [Delhi Jal Board] water which we are getting checked by the Bureau of International Standards. If we find chlorine levels lower than adequate, then we ensure that it is added so that consumers get water which is properly chlorinated.”

Dr. Sharma said: “As a matter of routine, during summer we start taking precautions to check water-borne diseases and alert residents to clean their tanks and ensure that there is no leakage.”

A DJB spokesperson said: “DJB quality control managers informed the meeting of the work done by us and how we keep water clean. Our representatives also informed it of how BIS standard is maintained in water and how regular checks are conducted by the National Environmental Research Institute.”

Lancet published a report last week claiming the presence of a drug-resistant superbug NDM-I in water supply in the Capital.