Colistin: Emergence of a New Mechanism of Antibiotic Resistance in Humans; Santé publique France Highlights the Health Risk

Santé publique France has released an epidemiological report as of October 21, 2016, on the emergence in France of a new form of colistin resistance. Colistin is primarily used in veterinary medicine within animal production systems. It is a last-resort antibiotic for treating infections caused by certain bacteria that are already highly resistant to antibiotics.

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While the UN recently highlighted the fundamental threat posed by rising antibiotic resistance, colistin-resistant bacterial strains have been isolated in humans for the first time in France. Since July 2016, several strains of Enterobacteriaceae carrying the mcr-1 gene have been detected in patients in France.

Santé publique France highlights the public health risk associated with this new emergence and has alerted all healthcare facilities to the measures that must be implemented in response to these cases.

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