A Government report warns that tens of thousands could die because of new strains of bacteria and viruses resistant to drugs. Up to 80,000 people in Britain could die in a single outbreak of an infection due to a new generation of superbugs, according to an official Government forecast. In total, some 200,000 people could be infected if a strain of disease resistant to antibiotics took hold, according to official forecasts which reveal the potential casualty toll for the first time. Scientists are increasingly concerned about the impact of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which makes routine antibiotics or anti-viral drugs ineffective against diseases that have formerly been brought under control. It would mean that the huge gains made since the discovery of penicillin in curbing conditions such as pneumonia and tuberculosis and rendering surgery and childbirth safe could be lost.