antibiotic resistance

Superbugs may be More Widespread than Previously Thought

The potentially deadly, drug-resistant “superbug,” carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), is more widespread in U.S. hospitals than previously thought, an earlier-released study has found. [1]
Researchers looked for cases of infections caused by CRE in a sample of 4 U.S. hospitals – 3 in the Boston area and 1 in California – and identified numerous varieties of the bacterium. [2]

Scientists Modify Antibiotics to “Rip Apart” Superbugs in Minutes

In the fight against antibiotic resistance, it’s all hands on deck. The clock is ticking and superbugs are spreading, but drug companies are reluctant to create new antibiotics because they’re not money-makers. Researchers may have found a way around that problem by modifying already-existing antibiotics to make them “blow up” deadly superbugs.

Victory: KFC Pledges to Use Antibiotic-Free Chicken by 2018

In another victorious move for the public, KFC has announced that it will stop using chickens that were given antibiotics in the U.S. by the end of 2018. [1]
The fried chicken fast-food establishment, which boasts 4,200 restaurants across the country, says it will nix antibiotics from both its boneless and on-the-bone chicken. KFC joins a growing list of fast-food companies that have made food supply changes in response to consumer concerns about health.
KFC said in a statement:

New Discovery Could Help Humans Win the War on Superbugs

Scientists are working on finding solutions to the growing problem of antibiotic-resistant superbugs. The latest weapon in their arsenal is Tasmanian devil milk.
The Tasmanian devil is a marsupial, which means it’s a mammal that is born very early in its development and spends a few months growing and suckling inside their mothers’ pouches, just like kangaroos and opossums. [1]

Mother Speaks out on Antibiotic Resistance After Child Taken by MRSA Superbug

Antibiotic drug resistance has become a huge issue, so much so that world leaders passed a declaration aimed at slowing the spread of antibiotic-resistant superbugs, calling it “historical” and “a turning point.”And while most of us have heard about these so-called superbugs, not everyone is aware of how quickly it can take away a life. That’s why Everly Macario is telling her story about her son’s life being taken by an antibiotic resistant strain of MRSA.

Scientists Make Breakthrough in the Fight Against Superbugs

A 25-year-old Malaysian PhD student at the University of Melbourne thinks she has figured out how to kill bacteria that have stopped responding to antibiotics.
Shu Lam’s breakthrough couldn’t have come soon enough. The MCR-1 gene, which makes bacteria resistant to all antibiotics, is marching across the globe. It has been found in 4 people in the United States this year, including a toddler.

Drug Resistant Gonorrhea Has Made its Way to Hawaii

Hawaii is now home to a string of drug-resistant gonorrhea cases, which further signal a coming-age in which sexually transmitted diseases (as well as others) are no longer treatable with current medicine.
Seven patients with this strain were finally treated with the 2-drug combination of ceftriaxone and azithromycin, with lab resulting confirming that the bug was very resistant to azithromycin and was gaining resistance against ceftriaxone. This is yet another example of how last-resort drugs were shown to be ineffective in the fight against gonorrhea.

World Leaders Meet to Finally Address Antibiotic Resistance Crisis

On September 21, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly passed a declaration aimed at slowing the spread of antibiotic-resistant superbugs, calling it “historical” and “a turning point.”
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Dr. Keiji Fukada said:

“I think the declaration will have very strong implications. What it will convey is that there’s recognition that we have a big problem and there’s a commitment to do something about it.”