The Superbug Resistant to Last-Resort Antibiotics Has Just Been Isolated in Humans

Although the strain isolated from the woman can still be treated with other antibiotics, the danger lies with the possibility of the strain transferring its mcr-1 colistin-resistant gene to other microbes that are already resistant to a wide variety of antibiotics.

Colistin is considered the antibiotic of last resort, especially for superbugs such as the carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae which has been dubbed as the “nightmare bacteria” by health officials. Although the antibiotic causes damage to the kidneys as a side effect, doctors are forced to prescribe colistin as a last resort against emerging antibiotic-resistant infections.

In recent years, the problem with superbugs has been considered an emerging threat to public health. According to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Thomas Frieden, the isolation of the colistin-resistant E. coli in humans puts us at “risk of being in a post-antibiotic world” – that is, antibiotics will no longer work on even the most common bacterial infections. Overprescription by physicians are major contributing factors to the problem, and extensive use of antibiotics in livestock further compounded the problem.

Dr. Gail Cassell, a microbiologist at the Harvard Medical School, recommends handwashing and proper food preparation as the best protection against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Source: Reuters, The Washington Post