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 The gene is believed to have been found in a sample of E. coli
bacteria from a patient in New York. The finding follows the
discovery late last month of a patient in Pennsylvania who had a
urinary tract infection caused by E. coli that carried the gene.
The finding was to be published on Monday in Antimicrobial Agents
and Chemotherapy, a journal of the American Society for
Microbiology. But editors at the journal said they decided to
withhold it from publication because the study authors wanted to
verify whether the data were accurate.
The findings initially were provided to Reuters and other media
outlets under embargo. The journal subsequently emailed Reuters and
other publications asking to refrain from publication. Reuters did
not see that email.
Journal spokeswoman Aleea Khan said the publication expected the
authors to confirm the results within a week.
The mcr-1 gene makes bacteria resistant to colistin, an antibiotic
used to treat multi-drug-resistant infections, including carbapenem-resistant
enterobacteriaceae or CRE, which U.S. health officials have dubbed a
"nightmare" bacteria.
What is concerning about the mcr-1 gene is that bacteria have the
capability to share resistance genes. U.S. officials are worried
that the mcr-1 gene may find its way into CRE bacteria, potentially
creating bacteria resistant to virtually all types of antibiotics.
Scientists have been tracking the mcr-1 gene's movement around the
globe since it was discovered last year in people and pigs in China.
The possibility of another U.S. finding of mcr-1 comes as part of a
global effort called the SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program,
led by Mariana Castanheira of JMI Laboratories based in North
Liberty, Iowa.
Researchers tested 13,525 Escherichia coli and 7,481 Klebsiella
pneumoniae strains from patients collected last year from hospitals
in the Asia-Pacific region, Latin America, Europe and North America.
Of these, 390, or 1.9 percent, were resistant to colistin, and 19 of
these isolates tested positive for the mcr-1 gene. These data are
now being checked for accuracy.
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For the study, samples carrying the gene came from 10 countries and
included some from each region. Only one came from the United
States. It involved a New York patient infected with E. coli whose
name and condition were not disclosed.
In the first U.S. case, bacteria that carried the "superbug" gene
were resistant to colistin but susceptible to a number of other
antibiotics, making the infection treatable. Data pertaining to the
second suspected case are being reviewed.
To keep track of the spread of this resistance gene in the United
States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has disclosed
plans to expand laboratory capacity to seven or eight regional
laboratories, plus add capacity to laboratories in each U.S. state
as well as seven cities or territories.
In the United States, antibiotic resistance causes at least 2
million illnesses and 23,000 deaths annually.
(This article corrects headline and story throughout to reflect that
journal decided not to publish study on Monday because data were
being verified for accuracy)
(Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen; Editing by David Gregorio)
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