New test rapidly identifies antibiotic-resistant 'superbugs'

(University of California - Berkeley) A simple and inexpensive new test developed by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, can diagnose patients with antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria in a matter of minutes. The technique could help doctors prescribe the right class of antibiotics for each infection, and could help limit the spread of antibiotic-resistant 'superbugs' that kill as many as 700,000 people worldwide each year.