In Great Britain, bacteria resistant to colistin, an antibiotic used in patients with severe infections, have been detected as one of the drugs of last resort, warns BBC News. This is another disturbing report on this subject.
In November, Lancet Infectious Diseases reported that colistin-resistant bacteria had been found in China. Liu Jian Hua, who has studied these microbes, says that they contain the gene MCR-1 that causes this resistance, which they can easily pass on to each other. It was found in E. coli bacteria, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Prof. Alan Johnson of Public Health England said colistin-resistant bacteria in the UK have been detected in samples taken from three pig farms. They also attacked people, but the specialist did not provide further information on this subject. The MCR-1 gene was found in the genomes of salmonella and E. coli.
Apart from China, microbes with this gene have also been found in Laos and Malaysia, as well as in Africa. There are concerns that they may be resistant not only to colistin, but also to polymyxins, a whole group of very important antibiotics in medicine, to which it belongs.
Prof. Timothy Walsh of the University of Cardiff, who participated in the study, fears that the spread of this extremely dangerous mutation around the world could start a long-announced drug apocalypse as bacterial infections emerge for which antibiotics will no longer be effective.
According to Coilin Nunan of Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics, antibiotics should not be routinely used prophylactically in animal husbandry, especially colistin. In her opinion, in 2014, 837 kg of colistin was transferred to livestock farms in Great Britain.
The UK environmental protection department says colistin made up only 0,2% of the total. all antibiotics that have been used in breeding in the United Kingdom. It was used only by veterinary prescription to treat sick animals. (PAP)
See also: Bacteria stronger than the drug