Yes, it is newer, stronger, more virulent, and worst of all, drug resistant! This new strain of E.coli, ST131, is currently causing a major public health threat in the United States.
Escherichia coli, commonly found in the human intestinal tract (normal flora of the gut) and the lower intestine of other warm – blooded organisms, is a rod-shaped gram-negative bacterium. Most strains are harmless; however, there are some that can cause severe sickness, food poisoning, pneumonia and urinary tract infections.
It is said that ST131 is currently resistant to floroquinones, one of the strongest broad-spectrum antibiotics, and cephalosporin, which fights bacterial infections.
“If this strain gains one additional resistance gene, it will become almost untreatable and will be a true superbug, which is a very concerning scenario,” said Dr. James Johnson of the VA Medical Center in Minneapolis, which led the study.
Until now, the most common source of E.coli infections has been due to 0157:H7, another virulent strain. An estimate of around 70,000 infections each year by E.coli 0157 has been given by The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, yet this estimate is very volatile as many patients never get tested.
Currently, scientists are trying to identify the sources of ST131 and its means of transmission. Once these doubts have been cleared, only then can we move on to preventing or slowing down this potential “superbug.”
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