Contributed by Siddarth David & Dr. Tamhankar
The multi-drug resistant strain
of E. Coli with the MCR-1 gene has been isolated in New York, in the United
States last week, making it second case the US. In April an isolate with MCR-1
gene was identified in a patient in Pennsylvania who had urinary tract
infection. The new case was identified by the SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance
Program, of JMI Laboratories based in the US, that has been analysing samples
from US hospitals and those across the world since 1997. Out of the nearly
20,000 samples tested the lab found almost 2% (390) samples showed the presence
of theMCR-1 gene including from Germany, Italy, Spain, Malaysia, Honk Kong, Brazil
and Russia. These were associated with bloodstream infections, skin infections
and urinary tract infections.
The discovery of the colistin, a
last-line antibiotic, resistant gene in samples from meat as well as hospital
in China last year had led to alarm bells ringing panic across the world on the
extent and spread of the resistance. Moreover most of the cases the gene was
carried on the plasmid DNA of the bacteria which would make it easy for it to
be transferred between bacteria, facilitating its easy and rapid spread which
could become a global public health crisis. After the discovery of the case in
the US, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the
Pennsylvania Department of Health are working on trying to trace the origin of
the bacteria to prevent any possible spread as well as understand its
environment to ascertain if there could be more cases.
This, is another call for the
adoption and implementation of stricter and more rational antibiotic use across
the world in order to avoid more chances of the development of such multi-drug
resistant "superbugs".
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