A 48-year-old Pennsylvania woman went to the doctor for what turned out to be a urinary tract infection. She didn’t expect to be the first person in the U.S. infected with a bacteria that is resistant to colistin, an antibiotic usually used as a last option for treatment.
The E. coli was treated with other classes of antibiotics, but the strain raises global concerns about bacteria that have developed resistance to common treatments. The worst case scenario is the development of a superbug that is resistant to all classes of antibiotics, something which has not yet been seen.
“It basically shows us that the end of the road isn’t very far away for antibiotics—that we may be in a situation where we have patients in our intensive care units, or patients getting urinary-tract infections for which we do not have antibiotics,” CDC Director Tom Frieden said in an interview with the Washington Post.
Chinese and British researchers reported finding the colistin-resistant strain in pigs and in a small number of people in China. It was also discovered in Europe and elsewhere.
The medical community has long advocated for responsible, conservative policies for prescribing antibiotics to limit overuse. Still, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), roughly 30 percent of antibiotic prescriptions are unnecessary.
Nicholas joined TriMed in 2016 as the managing editor of the Chicago office. After receiving his master’s from Roosevelt University, he worked in various writing/editing roles for magazines ranging in topic from billiards to metallurgy. Currently on Chicago’s north side, Nicholas keeps busy by running, reading and talking to his two cats.