Published Tuesday, 10 July, 2007 at 02:12 PM
Minister for State Development, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
Government supports research into defeating deadly hospital super-bug
The Queensland Government today announced that it would fund major research into tackling an antibiotic resistant super-bug that kills thousands of hospital patients globally every year.
Queensland Minister for State Development John Mickel said Dr Amanda Mabbett from the University of Queensland’s School of Molecular and Microbial Sciences had received a $150,000 Smart State Fellowship for a new approach to preventing Staphylococcus aureus, or golden staph.
“In recent years, antibiotic resistant super-bugs have emerged in our hospitals, to the extent that they now pose a serious threat to the operation of health care facilities,” Mr Mickel said.
Golden staph is a common infection found in many hospitals.
Fifty years ago, it was treatable using antibiotics, but in recent times, it has become increasingly resistant to conventional treatment and is now seen as a major cause of hospital-acquired pneumonia and surgical site infections.
A 2005 US study found golden staph infections represented a considerable burden to the US medical system, causing about 12,000 deaths a year and costing US$9.5 billion in costs to hospitals.
“From 1995-2005, golden staph accounted for 20 per cent of hospital related bloodstream infections in the United States of which 5-15 per cent were complicated by infection of the heart valves, or endocarditis,” Mr Mickel said.
Dr Mabbett said a major factor in the development of golden staph infections in hospitals was by its growth in what was known as biofilm.
Biofilms form on the surface of pacemakers, heart valve replacements, artificial joints and other surgical implants.
Bacteria growing in a biofilm are highly resistant to antibiotics, up to 1000 times more resistant than the same bacteria not growing in a biofilm. The US-based Centres for Disease Control estimate that over 65 per cent of hospital infections are caused by biofilms.
“In our research project, we will link scientists with complementary skills in molecular biology, clinical microbiology and clinical medicine to study the molecular basis of biofilm formation by Staphylococcus aureus that causes endocarditis,” Dr Mabbett said.
“For the first time, scientists and clinicians from three of Brisbane’s major research centres – the School of Molecular and Microbial Sciences at UQ, the Princess Alexandra Hospital and Queensland Health Pathology Service – will collaborate to find out how we can inhibit the biofilm growth caused by golden staph and thereby develop strategies to prevent hospital infections in general.
“We will use endocarditis as a model infection to study biofilm growth. But what we learn here will have broader implications and could be applied to the prevention of Staphylococcus aureus infections in general,” she said.
The Smart State Fellowships are part of the Queensland Government’s $200 million Smart State Innovation Funding Program, which aims to build world-class research facilities, attract top-quality scientists to Queensland and stimulate cutting-edge research projects.
Round Two of the Smart State Innovation Funds set out about $18.5 million in assistance, including project funding, research fellowships and university internships
Mr Mickel is hosting a special reception at 3pm today for the latest recipients of the Smart State Fellowship and Queensland Clinical Research Fellowship programs at the Queensland Room, the Executive Building, 100 George Street, Brisbane.
“The Queensland Government has invested more than $3 billion in innovation, science and research since 1998. I think this demonstrates our deep and ongoing commitment to maintaining Queensland’s reputation as the Smart State,” Mr Mickel said.
Contact details for Dr Amanda Mabbett, 3365 3830, mobile 0418 797 376.
Media contact: Chris Brown 3224 7349 or Elouise Campion 3224 6784.
10 July 2007
Queensland Minister for State Development John Mickel said Dr Amanda Mabbett from the University of Queensland’s School of Molecular and Microbial Sciences had received a $150,000 Smart State Fellowship for a new approach to preventing Staphylococcus aureus, or golden staph.
“In recent years, antibiotic resistant super-bugs have emerged in our hospitals, to the extent that they now pose a serious threat to the operation of health care facilities,” Mr Mickel said.
Golden staph is a common infection found in many hospitals.
Fifty years ago, it was treatable using antibiotics, but in recent times, it has become increasingly resistant to conventional treatment and is now seen as a major cause of hospital-acquired pneumonia and surgical site infections.
A 2005 US study found golden staph infections represented a considerable burden to the US medical system, causing about 12,000 deaths a year and costing US$9.5 billion in costs to hospitals.
“From 1995-2005, golden staph accounted for 20 per cent of hospital related bloodstream infections in the United States of which 5-15 per cent were complicated by infection of the heart valves, or endocarditis,” Mr Mickel said.
Dr Mabbett said a major factor in the development of golden staph infections in hospitals was by its growth in what was known as biofilm.
Biofilms form on the surface of pacemakers, heart valve replacements, artificial joints and other surgical implants.
Bacteria growing in a biofilm are highly resistant to antibiotics, up to 1000 times more resistant than the same bacteria not growing in a biofilm. The US-based Centres for Disease Control estimate that over 65 per cent of hospital infections are caused by biofilms.
“In our research project, we will link scientists with complementary skills in molecular biology, clinical microbiology and clinical medicine to study the molecular basis of biofilm formation by Staphylococcus aureus that causes endocarditis,” Dr Mabbett said.
“For the first time, scientists and clinicians from three of Brisbane’s major research centres – the School of Molecular and Microbial Sciences at UQ, the Princess Alexandra Hospital and Queensland Health Pathology Service – will collaborate to find out how we can inhibit the biofilm growth caused by golden staph and thereby develop strategies to prevent hospital infections in general.
“We will use endocarditis as a model infection to study biofilm growth. But what we learn here will have broader implications and could be applied to the prevention of Staphylococcus aureus infections in general,” she said.
The Smart State Fellowships are part of the Queensland Government’s $200 million Smart State Innovation Funding Program, which aims to build world-class research facilities, attract top-quality scientists to Queensland and stimulate cutting-edge research projects.
Round Two of the Smart State Innovation Funds set out about $18.5 million in assistance, including project funding, research fellowships and university internships
Mr Mickel is hosting a special reception at 3pm today for the latest recipients of the Smart State Fellowship and Queensland Clinical Research Fellowship programs at the Queensland Room, the Executive Building, 100 George Street, Brisbane.
“The Queensland Government has invested more than $3 billion in innovation, science and research since 1998. I think this demonstrates our deep and ongoing commitment to maintaining Queensland’s reputation as the Smart State,” Mr Mickel said.
Contact details for Dr Amanda Mabbett, 3365 3830, mobile 0418 797 376.
Media contact: Chris Brown 3224 7349 or Elouise Campion 3224 6784.
10 July 2007