Superbugs, and how to beat them

A SENIOR consultant microbiologist at the Pennine Acute Trust is holding a free superbug presentation and public information event at the Royal Oldham Hospital.

Dr Ivor Cartmill, consultant microbiologist at the trust, will talk about germs associated with healthcare infection, including MRSA, clostridium difficile and norovirus, on Monday, November 21, and the successful measures introduced to prevent them.

Dr Cartmill will also cover how some superbugs have become resistant to many antibiotics and how they can be managed, as well as how to avoid food poisoning over the festive period.

The “winter vomiting” bug — norovirus — is the most common cause of vomiting and diarrhoea in the UK and is said to affect between 600,000 to a million people a year, though is a generally short-lived illness from which the majority recover in 12-60 hours.

The trust, which runs hospitals in Oldham, Rochdale, North Manchester and Bury, has successfully reduced the number of MRSA cases by more than 90 per cent in four years, from 105 cases in 2006-07 to 10 cases in 2010-11. It now has one of the lowest MRSA rates in the country.

The trust also more than halved occurrences of clostridium difficile infection between 2006-2010.

The presentations will be on Monday at the Education Centre, Royal Oldham Hospital from 2pm; and at the Education Centre, Rochdale Infirmary, from 7pm. The talks last about an hour.

Details from Angela Greenwood on 01706-517302 or email, ft.membership@pat.nhs.uk.