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According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 2 million people are infected with antibiotic-resistant infections each year, 23,000 of who will die as a result. Now, scientists worry seagulls, a wild bird that has an “enormous migratory reach,” could make matters worse.
Scientists have found a highly drug-resistant form of Escherichia coli in bird droppings they sampled in Lithuania and Argentina. This form of E. coli is marked by the mcr-1 gene, which is what makes it resistant to the powerful, “last-resort antibiotic” called colistin. Study authors believe that the seagulls picked up the superbug after eating sewage or medical waste.
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In addition, experts are now starting to see these dangerous bacteria in humans. In May 2016, a 49-year-old woman in Pennsylvania seeking treatment for a urinary tract infection became the first person in the U.S. to become infected with colistin-resistant bacteria. While she has recovered from the infection, she, like the seagulls, is still a carrier for the superbug.
Read full, original post: Scientists Fear Seagulls Carrying MCR-1 Gene Will Worsen Threat Of Drug-Resistant Superbugs
