Tanzania: Study Warns Rising Drug-Resistant Infections Among Newborns

What the report says

A study at Bugando Medical Centre in Mwanza, Tanzania, has found that newborns are facing a growing risk from severe infections caused by bacteria that are increasingly resistant to multiple antibiotics. The report, presented by Dr Delfina Msanga of the Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences, focuses on neonatal sepsis, a condition that can become life-threatening quickly because infants have immature immune systems.

According to the Daily News report distributed by AllAfrica, researchers reviewed hospital-based studies in Tanzania and also examined cases at Bugando Medical Centre between January 2023 and May 2024. Among 327 newborns suspected of bloodstream infection, 53 had laboratory-confirmed infections. The study found that gram-negative bacteria were the main cause, with Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter species among the leading pathogens.

The findings also pointed to substantial resistance to commonly used antibiotics, including several first-line and second-line medicines. While some carbapenems remained effective against the Klebsiella isolates studied, the researchers said this protection should be preserved through careful prescribing. The team also developed a diagnostic tool using birth weight, C-reactive protein and neutrophil count, but it was not sensitive enough to replace clinical judgment or lab testing.

Dr Msanga called for stronger infection control, better laboratory capacity, antimicrobial surveillance and more responsible antibiotic use in neonatal care. The article also said genomic analysis suggested possible transmission clusters within the neonatal unit, underscoring the importance of hygiene and environmental cleaning.