The BBC reports that the world is on the cusp of a 'post-antibiotic era'. A new mutation of bacteria in China has something "dubbed the MCR-1 gene", that prevented colistin - the antibiotic of last resort - from killing bacteria.
Chinese scientists identified a new mutation, dubbed the MCR-1 gene, that prevented colistin from killing bacteria.
The report in the Lancet Infectious Diseases showed resistance in a fifth of animals tested, 15% of raw meat samples and in 16 patients.
[...] Resistance to colistin has emerged before. However, the crucial difference this time is the mutation has arisen in a way that is very easily shared between bacteria.
There's plenty to blame - pumping livestock full of them for "preventative measures", doctors prescribing them for colds and flus, and people not finishing a course when they are prescribed them - but the future currently looks bleak.
(Score: 1, Flamebait) by eravnrekaree on Friday November 20 2015, @01:57PM
Antibiotics have been pumped into livestock not out of concern for their health, but to maximize profit by accelerating the growth of the animal. This has many harmful effects on the animal and could be called a medical disorder. The industry basically intentionally induces abnormal growth disease in an animal and then sells this abnormal meat to consumers. The animals frame often cannot cope with the massive body mass that is accumulating on it leading to broken bones and immobility.
(Score: 2) by Justin Case on Sunday November 22 2015, @03:27PM
Citations?
And don't tell me to google it. You're the one making the claims.