Co-convener of an infectious disease conference in Dunedin, Dr James Ussher, said New Zealand had a "limited window" in which to act, but there was no time for procrastination.
The threats to New Zealand posed by new forms of superbugs were highlighted yesterday, on the first day of the Australasian Society of Infectious Disease New Zealand (ASID) annual scientific conference, at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery.
At an afternoon symposium within the conference, Ministry of Health representatives, backed by the Ministry for Primary Industries, teamed up with infectious disease specialists to tackle this "emerging threat globally".
The symposium focused on preventing, controlling and managing them, organisers said.
One group of superbugs, carbapenemase-producing enterobacteriaceae (CPE), was increasingly being found in New Zealand patients. More than 40 cases, many involving carriers, and some people with infections, were detected in New Zealand in the past year, including one patient and one carrier in Dunedin.
CPE were resistant to most antibiotics and were "true superbugs," he said.
Canterbury District Health Board clinical director of microbiology Dr Joshua Freeman, said at the symposium the threat was "both serious and imminent". Dr Ussher, who is a senior lecturer in the University of Otago microbiology and immunology department, said it was "great to have collaboration between the ministry and ASID".
The symposium was an interactive workshop designed to get the New Zealand infection community discussing a national approach to this "public health emergency".
Ministry representatives, and members of the public health and infection prevention communities yesterday began putting together a response plan for the prevention and control of CPE, to be delivered as part of the health ministry’s antimicrobial resistance action plan.
