Researchers tested more than 21,000 bacteria strains from hospitals around the world in a study which Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy published.
Here are six things to know:
1. Researchers confirmed the second case in a New York hospital patient.
2. The first confirmed case involved a Pennsylvania patient. The patient had an infection that Colistin, a strong antibiotic, could not kill.
3. Although this is the second confirmed case, providers collected the second case’s bacterial strain during the patient’s hospital stay in 2015. Thus, this case is the earliest known case of its type in the United States.
4. Of the tested strains in the Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy study, almost 2 percent were resistant to Colistin. Of this figure, 19 strains tested positive for gene mcr-1, including the New York case. The gene allows bacteria to fight off Colistin.
5. Although other antibiotics killed the infection, researchers are worried as mcr-1 can transfer to other bacteria that are already resistant to many other antibiotics.
6. Each year, superbugs kill 700,000 people, and scientists expect this number to rapidly increase if the industry does not create effective antibiotics.
More articles on quality & infection control:
Corvallis Clinic Surgery Center paves the way for patient safety efforts: 4 key takeaways
Use of vacuum-assisted surgical clippers significantly reduces length of cleanup: 3 notes
7 key strategies to bolster hand hygiene compliance
