Newly discovered gene in pigs shows that bacteria are becoming more resilient to common antibiotics.
Recent research on antibiotic resistant bacteria has uncovered some distressing facts. A new gene discovered in an E-coli strain has reinforced the fact that supergerms are not to be trifled with. While committed to some research endeavors concerning antimicrobial resistance, the team of researchers found out that due to its intricate method of propagation, many modern-day antibiotics will prove to be quite useless.
The gene that they discovered while conducting research on pigs is capable of bypassing the effects of even colistin, considered to be a potent antibiotic. Colistin is defined as being a polymyxin antibiotic, produced by a mixture cyclic polypeptides, also known as colistin A and colistin B. The antibiotic is used with a high degree of success against Gram-negative bacilli. As stated, there is a specific strain of E-coli, known as strain SHP45, which is capable of carrying the MCR-1 gene.
The medical researchers found out that the gene itself was carried by the bacteria’s plasmid. This, in term, leads to developing a highly refined system of propagation. The end result is that the rates of infection are even higher than predicted.
According to some statistics, released by health authorities, approximately 2 million patients come down with antibiotic resistant bacteria, each year. Unfortunately, 23000 of them will perish in the fight against superbug. The figures have been registered in the United States alone.
Unfortunately, more bad news is on the way, confirming the fact that supergerms are not to be trifled with. It would seem that the patients who came down with this strain of bacteria are not the only ones at risk. The most vulnerable category of people are those who recently underwent any forms of surgery. Sadly, the ever increasing numbers of supergerms means that even the most advanced antibiotic and squeaky clean rooms won’t count in the long run.
Most of the doctors tend to agree that bacteria are shifty little buggers because they are able to elude all our attempts at destroying them. But hope is not entirely lost. Even now, researchers from all around the globe are developing new antibiotics, which are capable of taking down even the most pesky blood bug. The key to our problem is to always be one step ahead of the superbug. And, there is another thing worth mentioning.
There are indeed potent drugs out there, capable of handling even the toughest strain of bacteria, but the key to not be infected with such a superbug is to be very careful when it comes to using antibiotics.
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