I spent a few weeks last winter in New Delhi, thanks to a grant from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, learning about the spread of a gene called “NDM-1,” which can slip and slide into various species of bacteria, endowing them with the ability to resist all manner of antibiotics, including the last-resort IV antibiotics used exclusively in hospitals. NDM-1, which has been found in puddles and streams around Delhi, has been travelling the world in the bodies of patients who fly into the city for cheap surgeries at local hospitals, a trend supported by the Indian government as a lucrative new source of revenue. I wrote about different aspects of the problem for The Atlantic and Foreign Affairs (and created this audio slide show that’s hosted on the Pulitzer Center’s website): next month, a longer, more narrative piece arrives in Le Monde Diplomatique.
