Superbug campaign to target antibiotic overuse

By Tim Castle

LONDON (Reuters) - Family doctors and the public are to be reminded not to overuse antibiotics in a campaign to fight the spread of superbug infections, Health Secretary Alan Johnson said on Wednesday.

The nationwide publicity campaign, launched next month, will stress that antibiotics are ineffective against many common ailments and that indiscrimate use can boost the spread of antibiotic-resistant infections.

"The use of antibiotics have saved countless lives, but antibiotics do not work on most coughs, colds and sore throats and their unnecessary use can leave the body susceptible to gut infections like Clostridium difficile," said Johnson.

The government is under pressure to show success in reducing the level of superbug infections such as C. difficile and MRSA in NHS hospitals.

A 50 million pound ward-by-ward deep clean of hospitals in England is under way and medics have been ordered to wear short-sleeved tunics to prevent accidental spread of infection.

The antibiotics campaign comes as hospitals decide how to spend an extra 270 million pounds a year allocated in government spending plans to improve cleanliness and reduce superbug infections.

Some 45 million pounds of the additional annual funding can be spent on specialist staff.

Johnson said this money would allow every hospital trust in England to hire two infection control nurses, two isolation nurses and an antimicrobial pharmacist.