The US has reported its first -ever case of antibiotic resistant infection after a woman was found to be infected with a strain of E.coli that tested positive for resistance to colistin, the antibiotic of last resort. While the infected woman has since recovered, officials fear that, if resistance spreads, the country could see the emergence of superbugs that cannot be treated by any known antibiotic. Colistin is an old antibiotic that was reintroduced when newer drugs became less effective. Resistance to the drug has previously been identified in people and animals in US , US , and Europe . Dr. Tom Frieden , director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ) said, “It is the end of the road for antibiotics unless we act urgently.”
The US has reported its first-ever case of antibiotic resistant infection after a woman was found to be infected with a strain of E.coli that tested positive for resistance to colistin, the antibiotic of last resort. While the infected woman has since recovered, officials fear that, if resistance spreads, the country could see the emergence of superbugs that cannot be treated by any known antibiotic. Colistin is an old antibiotic that was reintroduced when newer drugs became less effective. Resistance to the drug has previously been identified in people and animals in Canada, China, and Europe. Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said, “It is the end of the road for antibiotics unless we act urgently.”