A strain of the potentially deadly antibiotic-resistant bacterium known as MRSA has jumped from food animals to humans, according to a new study involving two Northern Arizona University researchers.<\/p>\n
Paul Keim<\/strong>, Regents\u2019 professor and director of NAU\u2019s Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, and\u00a0Lance Price<\/strong>, NAU faculty member and director of the Center for Food Microbiology and Environmental Health at the Translational Genomics Research Institute, collaborated with scientists at 20 institutions around the world on the study published today in the online journal\u00a0mBio<\/a><\/span><\/em>.<\/p>\n The TGen-led research utilized whole genome sequencing to study 89 genomes from humans and animals\u2014including turkeys, chickens and pigs\u2014with samples from 19 countries on four continents.<\/p>\n The research focused on methicillin-resistant\u00a0Staphylococcus aureus<\/em>\u00a0CC398, also known as pig MRSA or livestock-associated MRSA because it most often infects people with direct exposure to swine or other food animals. It is likely that MRSA CC398 started as an antibiotic-susceptible strain in humans before it jumped to food animals.<\/p>\n After transferring to food animals, MRSA CC398 became resistant to two important antibiotics, tetracycline and methicillin, which are used for treating staph infections. The resistance likely is a result of the routine antibiotic use that characterizes modern food animal production. The animals commonly are given antibiotics to prevent infection and promote growth.<\/p>\n Keim, who also serves as director of TGen\u2019s Pathogenic Genomics Division, said the study describes evolution in action. “The most powerful force in evolution is selection. And in this case, humans have supplied a strong force through the excessive use of antibiotic drugs in farm animal production. It is that inappropriate use of antibiotics that is now coming back to haunt us.\u201d<\/p>\n Price, the study\u2019s lead author, said the research was \u201clike watching the birth of a superbug\u2014it is simultaneously fascinating and disconcerting.\u201d He said that while this strain of MRSA was discovered less than a decade ago it appears to be spreading very quickly.<\/p>\n \u201cOur findings underscore the potential public health risks of widespread antibiotic use in food animal production,\u201d Price said. \u201cStaph thrives in crowded and unsanitary conditions. Add antibiotics to that environment and you\u2019re going to create a public health problem.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"