The study, published in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases, noted that the medical tourism for treatment in India was on its way to spread a new type of infection worldwide.

A new type of gene, named New Delhi-Metallo -1 (NDM-1), has been detected in 17 of the 29 examined cases in Britain. And it is being said that all the 17 patients had been to India and Pakistan the previous year and most of them had also undergone surgeries. This bacterial infection had made all of them resistant to antibiotics.

This gene is commonly found in bacteria such as E.coli, and is said to cause urinary tract and respiratory infections and the researchers fear that if this gene would attach itself to other diseases, the disease would then become immune to antibiotics.

The Indian Government showed its resentment over the study that, it said, cited isolated examples from India, whereas some similar samples had been found in Israel, USA and Greece.

A statement was issued by the ministers condemning researchers of drawing conclusions which were ‘loaded with inference’, that it was not safe for patients to undergo any kind of surgery in India. Objections were also raised on the naming of the superbug.

SS Ahluwalia of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party said, "When India is emerging as a medical tourism destination; this type of news is unfortunate and may be a sinister design of multi-national Companies”.