Researchers discover new variant on notorious resistance gene
Monday, March 6, 2017 - 14:01
in Health & Medicine
Polymyxin antibiotics are used as a last resort to treat certain multidrug resistant bacteria. A team of investigators has discovered a new variant on a well-known gene that causes resistance to polymyxins and others. More troubling, the gene containing this mechanism was found in a healthy individual during a routine medical examination, suggesting that other healthy carriers may be spreading this resistance unknowingly. Unlike any other members of its class, the gene was found in the food-borne pathogen, Salmonella.