A rare kind of drug-resistant E.coli was recently found in a 49-year-old Pennsylvania woman and it’s the first known case of its kind in the United States. This superbug is resistant to many antibiotics, even Colistin (which doctors use as a last resort when others fail). Thankfully there are still natural remedies for killing these viruses and bacterias.
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, who found the bacteria in her urine sample, are unsure at this time how she came in contact with the bacteria as she has not traveled outside the US within the last five months. However, the CDC and the Pennsylvania Department of Health have quickly mobilized to investigate the case and to trace contacts the patient may have had to see if the bacteria had spread.
Surprisingly, the woman was treated, released and currently has no other medical problems related to the bacteria. Perhaps her immune system is operating at an optimal level? Who knows, we’re just glad to hear she’s ok.
The particular strain of bacteria, called MR-1, has been identified in other infections outside the United States- doctors have seen cases in Europe, Canada and China. The US Dept. of Ag. has also found one strain of Colistin-resistant E. coli in a single sample of a pig intestine; they are trying to figure out how the pig came into contact with the dreaded superbug and to see whether any other animals were impacted.
Doctors have been warning about this issue for years as we have continued to overprescribe antibiotics that work- in both people and animals. So, while the CDC has called these two cases a warning sign- rather than a catastrophe- we aren’t out of the woods. The real concern is that traits of this rare, mutant Colistin-resistent E. coli could jump to other bacteria (that respond only to Colistin) and create a new unstoppable superbug. If that happens, one reports suggests that antibiotic-resistant infections could result in the deaths of half the patients who become infected.
While this is the first case, it certainly won’t be the last. At some point, when its too late, we will realize we should have stopped overusing antibiotics and instead developed new drugs that worked. Or perhaps thought outside the box and looked at oils like Oregano which are incredibly strong, natural antivirals/antibacterials.
The CDC says each year in the United States, at least 2 million people become infected with other kinds of bacteria that can’t be beaten with most antibiotics, and of them, at least 23,000 people die. It’s time to act urgently because this is merely the tip of the iceberg.
Source: CNN
