‘Post-antibiotic era’ may soon be inevitable

The “post-antibiotic world” could soon be a reality due to a gene strain that prevents antibiotics from killing deadly bacteria researchers say

MCR–1 is a gene strain that has enabled bacteria such as E coli and K pneumoniae – the cause of pneumonia and blood disease – to become resistant to the antibiotic polymyxin B (Colistin).

In an interview with the BBC Timothy Walsh, a researcher from the University of Cardiff who worked on a study published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases, said: "If MRC-1 becomes global, which is a case of when not if, and the gene aligns itself with other antibiotic resistance genes, which is inevitable, then we will have very likely reached the start of the post-antibiotic era.”

Researchers in China found the antibiotic resistant MCR-1 gene in E coli samples from 78 out of 523 (15%) samples of raw meat, 166 out of 804 (21%) animals (sheep and chicken) during 2011-2014 and 16 out of 1322 (1%) samples from inpatients with infections.

Liu Jian-Hua, a professor at China's Southern Agricultural University and co-author of the study, said: “These are extremely worrying results."

Until recently, rare cases of Colistin resistance occurred only through mutation in individual organisms. However, according to the study, the MCR-1 gene mutation can now spread between bacteria suggesting more deadly diseases could gain antibiotic resistance.

Walsh said: “All the key players are now in place to make the post-antibiotic world a reality.

“At that point if a patient is seriously ill, say with E coli, then there is virtually nothing you can do."

World health experts are gathering at the University of Edinburgh in an effort to find new ways to fight antibiotic resistant infections. A statement from the University says it is estimated by 2050, the global death total of anti-microbial resistance (AMR) infections could reach 10 million people each year.

Quoted on the BBC News website, Mark Wilcox, head of microbiology and academic lead of pathology at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "The transfer rate of this resistance gene is ridiculously high, that doesn't look good."

The BBC has said that concern now is that the MCR-1 gene will attach itself to other bacteria and spread, leading to multi-drug resistance.

A summary from the report said: “Our findings emphasise the urgent need for coordinated global action in the fight against pan-drug-resistant bacteria.”