BACTERIA are playing a key role in this General Election. The so-called superbug, MRSA, has been catapulted from under the microscope onto the front pages as the politicians bicker about infection rates in hospitals.
Tony Blair was publicly confronted by a woman stricken by MRSA who claimed the hospital covered up her illness. But Tory leader Michael Howard's attempt to make political capital backfired when he got his statistics in a twist.
No wonder politicians are in a muddle over MRSA. It is a seriously complex issue which defies simplification by soundbite. This group of bacteria can be carried harmlessly by millions of people, but has also mutated into deadly strains resistant to most drugs.
Last year, York Health Services NHS Trust lost its place as the best at beating the superbugs, and then York Hospital lost a star from its rating, partly due to concerns about cleanliness. Today's revelation that a patient at the hospital has MRSA will renew concerns over standards of hygiene.
We trust that health bosses will redouble their efforts to stamp down on the superbug.
As for electioneering, while biologists are still debating the best way to tackle MRSA, no politician can claim to have the answer. Whoever wins the election must study carefully the evidence presented to this month's Cleaner Hospital summit, before drawing up a counter attack based on science, not slogans.
Updated: 11:16 Monday, April 18, 2005
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