Superbug Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Existed in Hedgehogs Before the Introduction of Antibiotics
- Human health significantly improved after antibiotics were discovered 80 years ago.
- Antibiotic resistance in environmental bacteria is pretty well-known; however, resistance in human pathogenic bacteria is considered to be a modern occurrence that is caused by antibiotics.
- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA is a well-known human pathogenic bacteria.
- Researchers discovered that a particular lineages of MRSA existed in European hedgehogs before antibiotics were introduced.
- Researchers also discovered that a fungus on these hedgehogs produces antibiotics that can eliminate susceptible bacteria but not MRSA.
- The results suggest that the pre-antibiotic resistance emerged as an adaptation of S. aureus to the fungus-infected hedgehogs.
- The discovery highlights One Health approach in which the health of human is closely related to the health of animals and the shared environment.
- One Health approach in very important for our understanding and managing antibiotic resistance.
Sources:
Larsen, J., Raisen, C.L., Ba, X. et al. Emergence of methicillin resistance predates the clinical use of antibiotics. Nature (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-04265-w
