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Superbug with resistance gene mcr-1 detected in South Korea

Superbug with resistance gene mcr-1 detected in South Korea

Posted December. 01, 2016 07:11,   

Updated December. 01, 2016 07:23

한국어

A bacterial gene resistant to a single-agent antibiotic was discovered inside intestinal bacteria for the first time in Korea. The new bacterial gene was immune to colistin - also commonly known as the "last-resort antibiotic."

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Wednesday that among the 9,300 intestinal bacteria genes of human collected upon civil appeal and laboratory monitoring between 2012 to 2015, three genes capable of neutralizing colistin antibiotic called "mobile colistin resistance-1 (mcr-1)" were detected.

Since last year, intestinal bacterial genes with colistin resistant gene (mcr-1) have been continuously detected, first detected in China and then in the U.S., Europe, Africa, and Asian regions. As a result, American and European health authorities were put on full alert since June 2016.

Colistin is used when intestinal bacterial genes such as coliform bacillus and klebsiella pneumoniae become resistant to existing antibiotics and cause urinary tract infection. When these genes develop tolerance to colistin, only few options remain, and full recovery cannot be guaranteed even when multiple antibiotics are prescribed.

The mcr-1 gene exists inside the plasmid within the cell. Plasmid is a dielectric which exists separately to chromosome, and can multiply independently. As plasmid can be easily transmitted to allo- and hetero-bacteria without complex mutation or evolutionary process, it is disseminated quickly while treated slowly. The disease control center stated that it will continue to closely monitor the laboratory by analyzing mcr-1 and distributing verification and diagnosis methods and other guidelines.



Hyun-Seok Lim lhs@donga.com