Two superbugs cause over half of fatal newborn infections in Soweto
Over the past decade, scientists from the University of the Witwatersrand’s Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Unit examined small tissue samples from 1,586 children under five who died in public health facilities in Soweto, southwest of Johannesburg.
The research revealed that more than half of the deaths among newborns and roughly one-third of those among infants were caused by only two bacterial species.
“More than half of infections that caused deaths in newborns and about a third in infants were due to just two types of bacteria — Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae — both increasingly resistant to antibiotics,” said Ziyaad Dangor, head of the South African arm of the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (Champs) study.
The study offers valuable insight into infection patterns in Soweto, where people live in varied conditions, from informal settlements to structured homes. Researchers believe the findings likely reflect similar challenges across other urban townships in South Africa. Many of these fatal infections, the team noted, could have been prevented with better infection control and healthcare interventions.
Author’s Summary
The decade-long study in Soweto revealed that two antibiotic-resistant bacteria are responsible for most fatal newborn infections, exposing critical gaps in infection prevention and care.