Science Bulletins: MRSA—The Evolution of a Drug-Resistant Superbug

The human body is a diverse bacterial ecosystem. Humans are hosts to trillions of microbes, most of which are harmless or even beneficial. But a new study shows how one bacterium traveled from humans to farm animals and back to humans, developing resistance to antibiotics along the way. Staph infections in humans are usually treatable, but this new strain, called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), does not respond to antibiotics. Researchers found that it developed resistance while in farm animal hosts, through exposure to high level of antibiotics in their diet. Identifying the evolutionary processes of disease agents that transfer between species may help scientists determine how to prevent and treat emerging diseases.

Related Links:

Staphylococcus aureus CC398: Host Adaptation and Emergence of Methicillin Resistance in Livestock
http://mbio.asm.org/content/3/1/e0030...

PubMed Health: MRSA
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhea...

CDC: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) Infections
http://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/

US Food and Drug Administration
http://www.fda.gov/

New York Times: Steps Set for Livestock Antibiotic Ban
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/24/hea...

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  Science & Technology

[DjDedan]

Or we can ignore evolution and die off... funny how that works.

[kaysandesses]

"herp a derp derp You got it all wrong, the new strains are just differnt "kinds", not new species.  herp a derp derp" - signed: Right wing religious idiot.

[KingJong Un]

Praise the HOLY LORD, FORGIVE THO NOT SHALT FOLLOW CHIRISTANTIY FAITH, THIS IS NOT A BACTERIAL INFECTION INFACT IT IS THE DEVIL- signing off from Pope Francis 17th

[kaysandesses]

Naw, I saw your sarcasm but you missed mine. I thought that putting my comments in quotes would denote I was quoting a right wing moron.

[William Ross]

Humans are smart enough to ponder the evolutionary path of a bacteria from humans to animals and back to humans, but not smart enough to stop recklessly messing with nature. Smart fools.

[lialammas]

The problem is that we have to do everything in mass production. Humans should reproduce less and become vegans.

[brillig]

I like the topics for these videos, but would be more likely to watch them if they were narrated.

[scott stensland]

I cannot believe the 1% is still getting away with pumping antibiotics into all mass produced livestock - as this clip says -->a drug resistant microbe started as a new NON drug resistant mutation in humans, was passed to livestock where it became drug resistant then got passed back into humans<-- gotta love when profits for billionaire mass market food producers threatens to be feeding ground for the next global pandemic