Australians lead research into decoding genetic make-up of deadly superbug

International team spends 10 years making inroads into treatment of bacterium which kills up to half of those it infects

Australians have led an international team of researchers to decode the genes of a deadly superbug which kills up to half of those it infects, and which has wreaked havoc in Victorian hospitals.

The bacterium, Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP), is not easily treated with antibiotics. Last week, Victoria's health department issued a health alert after a particularly drug-resistant strain, known as KPC, was found in two hospital patients who had died.