New means to fight 'un-killable' bacteria in healthcare settings

Canadian scientists identify new cellular target to weaken P. aeruginosa -- a severe threat to patients with cystic fibrosis

McGill University Health Centre

Scientists have identified new means of fighting drug-tolerant bacteria, a growing global threat as menacing as drug-resistant microbes. Little is known about the mechanisms leading to tolerance, a strategy that makes bacteria 'indifferent' to antibiotics and almost 'un-killable,' which results in chronic infections extremely difficult to treat and cure.

Share:

     

FULL STORY

---

Dr. Dao Nguyen looking atPseudomonas aeruginosa that has been listed among the "nightmare bacteria" by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States, with an estimated 51,000 healthcare-associated infections each year resulting in around 400 deaths. P. aeruginosa is a common cause of healthcare-associated infections such as pneumonia, bloodstream or urinary tract infections, and surgical site infections.

Credit: McGill University Health Centre

Scientists at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) have identified new means of fighting drug-tolerant bacteria, a growing global threat as menacing as drug-resistant microbes. Little is known about the mechanisms leading to tolerance, a strategy that makes bacteria "indifferent" to antibiotics and almost "un-killable," which results in chronic infections extremely difficult to treat and cure.