Action needed to curb misuse of antibiotics that creates superbugs

In 2014, the South China Morning Post reported that in 2013, every 18 minutes, a new patient was found to be infected by antibiotic-resistant bacteria (also known as superbugs) in Hong Kong public hospitals, for which the therapeutic options were limited.

With an ageing population and the overcrowding of public hospitals, the problems of superbugs in the SAR have got worse (“Hong Kong superbug surge prompts fears over ‘big gun’ antibiotics”, April 28).

The public hospitals have made efforts to address the problems, for example, screening patients who spent time in hospitals outside Hong Kong for the superbugs (that are often asymptomatic) and isolate the infected cases. But resources should also be prioritised to make rapid diagnostic testing facilities available for public hospital doctors who can avoid oversubscribing antibiotics with more timely diagnosis information.

In addition, more efforts should be made to promote vaccination in the city as an alternative solution to antibiotics.

What is more challenging is to deal with the misuse of antibiotics in agriculture worldwide, which consumes half of the world’s annual production of antibiotics.

In response to Consumers International’s demand to take antibiotics off the menu, McDonald’s in the US has agreed to stop serving chicken that was treated by antibiotics for growth promotion. But large restaurant chains in Hong Kong have not responded to similar calls made by the local Consumer Council.