Superbugs refer to strains of bacteria that have become resistant to multiple types of antibiotics, making infections they cause difficult to treat. This antibiotic resistance arises from the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in human medicine and agriculture, as well as the natural evolutionary capability of bacteria to adapt and overcome drug mechanisms. Superbugs can lead to severe medical conditions that are resistant to standard antibiotic treatments, resulting in prolonged illnesses, higher medical costs, and an increased risk of death. Common examples of superbugs include Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), and multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The rise of superbugs is a significant global health threat, prompting urgent calls for responsible antibiotic use, improved infection prevention, and the development of new antibiotics and treatment strategies.
As vancomycin becomes more popular, its effectiveness diminishes. New research from the University of Houston College of Pharmacy suggests that vancomycin, commonly prescribed as the…
Pet dogs and cats in Portugal and the UK were found to harbor the same antibiotic-resistant bacteria as their owners. New research to be presented…
Scientists have developed a nano-thin superbug-slaying material that holds promise for future integration into wound dressings and implants to thwart or treat bacterial infections. The…
A new powerful antibiotic, isolated from previously unstudied bacteria, shows promise in tackling harmful bacteria, including the multi-resistant ‘superbugs’. Dubbed “Clovibactin,” this antibiotic destroys bacteria…
Modern farming, like all industries, has a significant dependence on plastics. Consider the plastic mulch that adorns vegetable beds, the PVC channels that manage water…
Antibiotic resistance is a major public health threat, ranked as one of the top 10 by the World Health Organization. Every year, in the United…
A strain of MRSA that emerged in pigs and is highly antibiotic-resistant can spread to humans. According to recent research, pig farming’s extensive use of…
Spectacular structure of chain-mail may explain the success of C.diff at defending itself against antibiotics and immune system molecules. The spectacular structure of the protective…
Without urgent action, superbugs will kill 22,000 Australians a year by 2040 A comprehensive national database is needed to capture infection rates and arrest the…
A “game-changing” new antibiotic which is capable of killing superbugs has been successfully synthesized and used to treat an infection for the first time —…
An anti-bacterial virus found in a Connecticut lake successfully treated an 80-year-old doctor with a life-threatening antibiotic-resistant infection in his heart, a Yale team of…
Got a sore throat? The doctor may write a quick prescription for penicillin or amoxicillin, and with the stroke of a pen, help diminish public…
Scientists from ITMO University and Center of Physical and Chemical Medicine developed an algorithm capable of tracking the spread of antibiotic resistance genes in gut…
New research from Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital reveals that a common tapeworm drug (which is already approved for use in humans) effectively treated…
Using a gene-editing system that can disable any target gene, MIT engineers have shown that they can selectively kill bacteria carrying harmful genes that confer…
In Cambridge, UK, there was a superbug outbreak at a special-care neonatal unit that lasted several months last year. Thanks to insights gained from whole-genome…
The Indian superbug NDM-1, which has a gene that encodes an enzyme conferring resistance to almost all known antibiotics, has been found in the USA…
Pathogenic bacteria without their virulent factors could be rendered harmless and eliminated by the human immune system. That’s the goal that a group of researchers…