Researchers have found a person in the United States carrying bacteria resistant to antibiotics of last resort, according to an article on The Washington Post website.
Researchers worry that its colistin-resistance gene, known as mcr-1, could spread to other bacteria that can already evade other antibiotics.
Colistin is the antibiotic of last resort for particularly dangerous types of superbugs, including CRE, which health officials call a “nightmare bacteria.”
CDC officials are working with health authorities to identify how the patient may have contracted the bacteria, including reviewing recent hospitalizations and other healthcare exposures.