Jay T. Comeaux shares a brief presentation on the super capable MCR bug and what you need to know about it.

1. SUPERBUG CA PA BLE MCR- WHA T YOU
NEED TO KNOW
J A Y T . C O M E A U X

2. OVER THE PA ST 2 YEA RS A N A NTIBIOTIC RESISTA NT FORM OF BA CTERIA
KNOWN A S MCR HA S MA DE HEA DLINES A ND PUT FEA R INTO THE MINDS OF
MA NY. IN THOSE 2 YEA RS, MCR HA S MA INLY BEEN FOUND IN EUROPE A ND
CHINA WITH NO SIGNS OF IT ON A MERICA N SOIL.

3. MCR IS A VERY COMPLEX BA CTERIA MUTA TION A S IT INVOLVES A GENETIC
CHA NGE MA KING IT RESISTA NT TO A LL TYPES OF A NTIBIOTICS INCLUDING THE
FA MOUS LA ST DITCH EFFORT A NTIBIOTIC, COLISTIN.

4. MCR HA S MOST PROMINENTLY BEEN FOUND IN E. COLI A ND SCIENTISTS FEA R
THA T THE MCR GENE COULD BE PA SSED TO OTHER SUPERBUGS CREA TING A N
EVEN LA RGER BA CTERIA L VILLA IN. IN THE EVENT THA T THE SUPERBUG DOES
BEGIN TO SPREA D MORE RA PIDLY IT WOULD ESSENTIA LLY DISA BLE A LL
A NTIBIOTIC THERA PIES A ND RETURN THE MEDICA L WORLD TO A TIME WHERE
A NTIBIOTICS WERE NOT DEVELOPED

5. FOR MA NY YEA RS SCIENTISTS HA VE URGED DRUG COMPA NIES TO DEVELOP
NEW A NTIBIOTICS WITH A POTENTIA L SUPERBUG IN MIND, HOWEVER THERE
WERE NO SIGNS OF DA NGER UNTIL NOW.

6. RESEA RCHERS HA VE RECENTLY FOUND THE MCR MUTA TED E. COLI IN THE
UNITED STA TES, MORE SPECIFICA LLY PENNSYLVA NIA . A WOMA N WA S FOUND
WITH SIMPLE SYMPTOMS OF A URINA RY TRA CT INFECTION UNTIL THE MCR
BA CTERIA WA S FOUND.

7. SURPRISINGLY, THE BA CTERIA WA S TREA TED WITH A N A NTIBIOTIC BUT WA S
STILL A N A LA RM BECA USE IT WA S RESISTA NT TO DRUGS THA T CA N USUA LLY
DO THE JOB. THE MCR SITS ON PLA SMID, WHICH IS A N EXTREMELY
TRA NSFERA BLE MA TERIA L MA KING THE MCR MUTA TION EA SILY
TRA NSFERA BLE TO OTHER SPECIES WHICH IS A NOTHER REA SON FOR THE MILD
SCA RE.

8. BUT IT IS IMPORTA NT TO NOTE THA T A LTHOUGH THE SUPERBUG IS PRESENT IT
IS NOT SPREA DING A T A N EPIDEMIC RA TE. A LSO, DRUG RESISTA NT BA CTERIA
HA VE BEEN A ROUND FOR QUITE SOME TIME DA TING BA CK TO THE ORIGINS OF
A NTIBIOTIC THERA PIES.

9. A CCORDING TO THE CDC, A ROUND 23, 000 PEOPLE DIE EA CH YEA R FROM DRUG
RESISTA NT INFECTIONS WITH THE MOST PROMINENT BEING C. DIFFICILE
WHICH HA S BEEN A ROUND FOR QUITE SOME TIME.

10. IF THE FEA RED MCR DOES STICK A ROUND IT IS REA SON TO WORRY, HOWEVER
IN THE A BSENCE OF A N EPIDEMIC SPREA D PA TTERN SCIENTISTS HA VE SOME
TIME TO FIGURE OUT THE NEXT LINE OF DEFENSE A GA INST THIS POTENTIA L
SUPERBUG. JUST BE SURE TO PRA CTICE RESPONSIBLE A NTIBIOTIC
PROCEDURES A ND A LWA YS THOROUGH HA ND WA SHING TECHNIQUES.