The last line of antibiotics defense has already been breached, and the scientific community is beginning to be seriously worried.
A new study conducted by South China Agricultural University with Prof Jian-Hua Liu as one of its lead authors revealed the discovery of a new type of gene that could create a superbug. This superbug is resistant to colistin, an old antibiotic that is normally given as the last resort. This means that the patient has already been provided with other types of antibiotics, which didn't work.
The gene called mcr-1 has been found in both pork and chicken meat sold in dozens of supermarkets and other retail places in Guangzhou from 2011 to 2014. Some pigs that had been slaughtered in at least four Chinese provinces also had the gene, as well as % of more than 1,000 samples obtained from patients.
One of the biggest causes of anxiety among doctors is that the gene can potentially cause an epidemic since it can be easily transmitted by a portable DNA called plasmid. Based on the studies, it has a very high chance of attaching itself on some of the most common types of infections like Klebsiella pneumoniae.
Further, since genes are known to naturally mutate such as when they interact with other types of antibiotics, mcr-1 gene may introduce new breeds of superbug.
The fight against superbug has been very challenging. In the United States alone, antimicrobial resistance can happen in more than 1.5 million people with around 23,000 people dying each year, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Obama administration has also launched an initiative which includes providing incentives to scientists that can discover new antibiotics or drugs that can beat the superbug.
Meanwhile, the researchers strongly recommend the cessation of colistin use in livestock farming. Despite global efforts, many farmers still use antibiotics to treat animals or keep them healthy while growing. Any drug-resistant bacteria that can develop in the animal may then be passed on to humans.
