Up to 80,000 people could die in an outbreak of a drug-resistant infection because of new superbugs, a British Government forecast warns.
The report estimates that a total of 200,000 people would be expected to be infected by a widespread bacterial blood infection that could not be treated effectively with existing drugs.
Over the next two decades, the number of infections complicated by superbugs are expected to rise significantly, according to a Cabinet Office document.
The National Risk Register of Civil Emergencies, which provides guidance on potential threats such as terror, flu and natural disasters, notes that routine medical treatments could become "high-risk" because of the growing resistance to antibiotics.
The report states: "An increasingly serious issue is the development and spread of AMR (antimicrobial resistance), which occurs when drugs are no longer effective in treating infections caused by micro-organisms.