Resistant genes are becoming a concern for many. These genes are mostly resistant to treatments, especially antibiotics. There might be more reasons to be careful, as a resistant gene has been found to have a new variant.
A team of researchers from China have discovered a variant of a gene that is resistant to antibiotics. The gene has been known to be resistant to polymyxin antibiotics. Polymyxin antibiotics are used as a last resort on people who have become resistant to other antibiotics.
The variant of the resistant gene has been found in a healthy individual. This has become a troubling scenario since it might be present in other healthy people as well. This could lead to having the gene passed on unknowingly to others.
The resistant gene is identified as mcr-1. Now researchers have found its variant, which has been named as mcr-1 6. Study author Biao Kan, Ph.D. is a professor of Pathogenic Microorganisms and Infectious Disease Control at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. He has said that this is the first time that a variant of the mcr-1 gene has been found in a healthy carrier.
A close monitoring of mcr-1 and its variant is being done, according to Science Daily. The gene and its variant are highly resistant to most antibiotics. There is the danger that it can increase resistance to collistin. Higher doses will have to be given to people in cases of a bacteria infection.
Such genes are usually transmitted on a plasmid, as Medical Xpress reports. A plasmid is an extra genomic DNA which goes from one bacterium class to another. This transfer rate can make bacteria more resistant to many antibiotics today.
The spread of this gene can also be stealthy, which makes it dangerous. People might give the gene to their offspring, which will then go down the line until it can make many people to be resistant to many forms of antibiotics. This can make treatment even more challenging for many people.
Resistant genes can be a danger, since they will make people resist many forms of antibiotics and other medications. A resistant gene has been found to have a new variant. Women are less likely to have a heart health check than men, as a study reveals.
