SBS explores ‘superbugs’ on Insight Tuesday 10th May

They're deadly, resistant to traditional antibiotics, and on the rise.

Since the discovery of penicillin in the early twentieth century, antibiotics have fought infections and diseases that were once life threatening. But over time, many bacteria have become resistant to these drugs and patients are increasingly at risk.

The World Health Organisation estimated there were 440,000 new cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in 2008 alone. There are also fears that the problem could be inching closer to Australia's doorstep, with growing rates of the disease in Papua New Guinea.

And it's not just TB. Microbiologists have discovered a brand new superbug – a bacteria containing the so-called NDM-1 gene. Bacteria with this gene are resistant to virtually all antibiotics, and researchers say there are no new drugs on the horizon to tackle it. Cases of the bug have been found in Australia.

Insight will explore which superbugs are of most concern, and whether over-use of antibiotics and clinician hygiene is behind the problem.

Guests include:

Professor Peter Collingnon, the Director of the Infectious Diseases Unit and Microbiology at the Canberra Hospital. He has researched antibiotic resistance and has looked closely at hospital-acquired infections and infection control.

Christiaan Van Vuuren, the self-described ‘Fully Sick Rapper’, who was diagnosed with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in 2010 and placed in quarantine in a Sydney hospital for more than 6 months. While there, Christiaan documented his experience by making videos on his laptop which soon made him a worldwide YouTube sensation.

Professor Matthew Cooper, who works at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience at the University of Queensland. He has spent years examining antibiotic resistance and leads a group researching novel antibiotics which are active against drugresistant bugs, particularly those responsible for hospital-acquired infections like MRSA and NDM-1.

Insight is hosted by Jenny Brockie and airs on SBS ONE every Tuesday at 7.30pm.