Two Superbugs Cause Majority of Newborn Deaths in Soweto
Over the past decade, researchers from the University of the Witwatersrand’s Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Unit studied tissue samples from 1,586 children under five who died in public health facilities in Soweto, southwest of Johannesburg.
The area includes a mix of informal settlements and formal housing, making it representative of other urban townships in South Africa. The study revealed that many infant deaths are due to preventable infections.
Key Findings on Bacterial Causes
More than half of newborn deaths (babies up to one month old) and about a third of deaths in infants (aged one to 12 months) were caused by just two bacteria:
- Acinetobacter baumannii
- Klebsiella pneumoniae
Both bacteria are rapidly developing resistance to antibiotics, raising serious concerns.
Ziyaad Dangor, head of the South African branch of the nine-country Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (Champs) study, noted, “This is not new knowledge, but it’s the detail in the study’s data that’s so valuable.”
The findings emphasize the urgent need to address antibiotic resistance and prevent infections to reduce child mortality in similar communities.
Author's Summary
This study highlights that two antibiotic-resistant bacteria cause the majority of newborn infections and deaths in Soweto, showing urgent need for targeted prevention efforts.