Hospital Superbugs Develop Resistance During Patient Therapy

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DbOwLQGvMcn/Hospital superbugs, antibiotic-resistant bacteria and sometimes fungi, may be evolving much faster than scientists realized—and researchers have now watched it happen in real time.A team at Stanford University discovered that the dangerous bacterium Enterococcus faecium can rapidly change its DNA inside a patient's intestines using tiny pieces of "jumping DNA." By analyzing repeated stool samples from a stem cell transplant patient, the researchers observed one of these genetic elements switching on a gene that helped the bacterium survive in the damaged, nutrient-poor gut. Similar genetic changes were later found independently in hospitals in Europe and Asia.The findings suggest that dangerous bacteria can adapt during infection far more quickly than previously understood. Better genetic surveillance could help hospitals detect emerging antibiotic-resistant strains sooner and improve infection control strategies for vulnerable patients.References for this report are available on my website.#AntibioticResistance #Superbugs #InfectiousDisease #MedicalResearch #HospitalSafety