To:
Government of India
Microbiologists in India
Lead Microbiologist who named NDM- Dr. Timothy R. Walsh Cardiff University, Health Park Cardiff UK
This petition has been created in opposition to the naming of the superbug enzyme "New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase -1" (NDM-1) which is misleading and inappropriately infers that the enzyme originated from the capital of India - New Delhi.
The name also suggests the problem is only in New Delhi and India. Though the enzyme has been identified in New Delhi, number of studies have shown it to be present in Bosnia, Pakistan and UK with no link to India. One study has shown that the enzyme was identified in a German patient from Serbia in 2007 with no link to India.
We recognize that antibiotic resistance is a major problem in India, as well as across the globe. We need to work together to combat this problem, yet placing a name and inferring blame is not an effective approach.
What disturbs us the most is that this enzyme is named as New Delhi Metallo-Beta-Lactamase -1 (NDM-1) after the capital city of a nation. India has a rich and diverse history along with a growing medical industry. The people of India feel stigmatized by their capital city being linked with the name of an enzyme that has the potential to spread and kill thousands of people.
We kindly request the Indian government, the microbiologist in India, as well as the lead microbiologist who first named the enzyme to avoid using "New Delhi" in the name of this enzyme which is currently called "New Delhi metallo beta lactamase -1 (NDM-1)" and to use an alternate name as suggested by the microbiology community. Many enzymes have duplicate names.
References:
1. Yong D, Toleman MA, Giske CG, Cho HS, Sundman K, Lee K, Walsh TR (December 2009). "Characterization of a new metallo-beta-lactamase gene, bla(NDM-1), and a novel erythromycin esterase gene carried on a unique genetic structure in Klebsiella pneumoniae sequence type 14 from India". Antimicrob Agents Chemother 53 (12): 5046–54. doi:10.1128/AAC.00774-09. PMID 19770275. PMC 2786356.
2. http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(10)70143-2/fulltext
3. http://www.thehindu.com/health/medicine-and-research/article566384.ece?homepage=true
4. http://www.indiastudychannel.com/forum/54621-Superbug-NDM-Is-propaganda-against-India.aspx
5. Jacoby, George. Mini review Beta Lactamase Nomenclature ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY, Apr. 2006, p. 1123–1129
Sincerely,
The Undersigned
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A request to sign this petition:
Video by Dr. Manoj Jain, Infectious Disease physician in Memphis, USA and Indore, India
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10730 people already signed this online petition.
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Who else signed this petition?
13/Apr/2011: Jeril C Joy, Engineer, Bangalore
Let the Acronyms remain the same, instead change the full form to New Dwarf Metallobeta lactamase Superbug.
08/Apr/2011: K.Palanisamy, Programmer Analyst, Coimbatore, India
Don't name the disease after anyone, anything because we don't know the root from where it started.
07/Apr/2011: Amit Raj, Bhopal
Scientists have warned that a new superbug, called New Delhi-Metallo-1, which is resistant to antibiotics, has reached Britain and could spread worldwide as nothing is being developed to combat it.
05/Apr/2011: Sunjeet Jena, Student, Talcher, Odisha, India
I Think British Scientists Are Jealous Of Our Development And Therefore They Using Such Dirty Tricks To Make Our Country People Feel That Once Upon A Time We Were Under Their Rule And As They Left Us We Became Paralised
02/Apr/2011: praveen viadya, hubli, karnataka
As a responsible indian it is my responsibility to fight against the people who damage name of india
31/Mar/2011: rakesh yadav, student, gujarat university, Gujarat, India
Remove the name "NEW DELHI". coz we are Indians & we dont like this kind of things. We need To change their name Who Named NDM-1 Superbug as New Delhi.
30/Mar/2011: Sadeesh Kumar M.N.
Please avoid to put the lively place/thing names for superbug because it hurts the people who r living there and also it helps the bad name for the place too;better focus to destroy these kind of bugs and not to focus on the naming like that;so many researchers are good to give the naming,so discuss with them.
27/Mar/2011: Varun Sharma ,Software Engineer ,Purekharagrai,Suwansa,India
Request every Indian to join us in changing the name of Superbug Enzyme: http://ChangeSuperbugName.com
24/Mar/2011: Sarraah Gupta,Admin,Management Institute
No Indian would like such enzyme or superbug to be associated with our Capital of India. The Lead microbiologist who named NDM should be proud to put his name or his country's name.
20/Mar/2011: sharmili
name of NDM-1 Superbug changed and remove the name "New Delhi" out of the name of the superbug name?
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