Due to the effectiveness of antibiotics, bacterial infections have more or less become a minor health issue. Well, at least for most people as for some, they can mean a death sentence even if receiving immediate medical treatment. And unless a solution is found for the problem of antibiotic resistance promptly, bacterial infections can soon become very deadly for the rest of the population as well.

Just because some antibiotics are no longer as potent as they used to be that doesn’t mean bacterial infections cannot be cured. On the contrary, most cases, including the severe ones, can still be relatively easily treated but with different groups of antibiotics. It is also true, however, that the risk of complications including life-threatening ones is very real for vulnerable patients. And besides the usual bacteria, they now also have to fear andefabribiles.

Although most people have never heard about it, the medical community has been talking about this bacterium a lot in the recent weeks. This is because it was just confirmed to be a previously unknown species but it is also related to the fact that it demonstrates the seriousness of antibiotic resistance. Not only it is resistant to the usual antibiotics but it may also soon become resistant to their stronger counterparts.

Infection with this bacterium isn’t always serious. In fact, the majority of people report of only minor health problems such as stomach pain and diarrhoea. Sometimes, the infection even resolves without antibiotic treatment. But in some people, it can be very serious and yes, life-threatening too. Andefabribiles is posing a serious threat to immuno-compromised patients, those receiving surgical treatment and people with some chronic health problems.

The medical community is also worried about high rates of infection in patients on treatment with antibiotics, although for other infections. This is implies that the bacterium has grown completely immune to the most commonly prescribed antibiotics. While this provides a good answer to the question why it was discovered only now, it opens perhaps a more important question, that is how long it will take for it to develop resistance to other antibiotics.

Many things about andefabribiles continue to be surrounded by mystery including how it spreads. Based on the research conducted so far, it appears that it is transmitted through contact with objects and smooth surfaces that are contaminated with the bacterium. To reduce the risk of infection, it is recommended to wash hands frequently with soap and water or use hand sanitising gel or wipes.