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| Bacteria that resist 'last antibiotic' in UK | Bacteria that resist 'last antibiotic' in UK |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| Bacteria that resist the antibiotic of last resort - colistin - have been discovered in the UK. | Bacteria that resist the antibiotic of last resort - colistin - have been discovered in the UK. |
| Officials say the threat to human health is low, but is under ongoing review. | Officials say the threat to human health is low, but is under ongoing review. |
| Scientists warned the world was on the cusp of a post-antibiotic era when such resistance was discovered in China last month. | Scientists warned the world was on the cusp of a post-antibiotic era when such resistance was discovered in China last month. |
| Now checks have discovered the same resistance on three farms and in samples of human infections. | Now checks have discovered the same resistance on three farms and in samples of human infections. |
| When all other antibiotics fail then doctors turn to colistin - that's why it is so important. | When all other antibiotics fail then doctors turn to colistin - that's why it is so important. |
| Doctors in the UK thought they had three years before colistin-resistance would spread from China to the UK. | Doctors in the UK thought they had three years before colistin-resistance would spread from China to the UK. |
| But Public Health England and the Animal and Plant Health Agency began testing for it. | But Public Health England and the Animal and Plant Health Agency began testing for it. |
| Public Health England has gone through the 24,000 bacterial samples it keeps on record from cases between 2012 and 2015. | |
| Colistin-resistance was discovered in fifteen of them, including samples of Salmonella and E. Coli. | Colistin-resistance was discovered in fifteen of them, including samples of Salmonella and E. Coli. |
| The Animal and Plant Health Agency has discovered colistin-resistant bacteria on three pig farms. | The Animal and Plant Health Agency has discovered colistin-resistant bacteria on three pig farms. |
| Analysis | Analysis |
| The news will not be a massive surprise after similar discoveries in parts of Europe, Asia and Africa. | The news will not be a massive surprise after similar discoveries in parts of Europe, Asia and Africa. |
| It raises the prospect of untreatable infections - what is known as the antibiotic apocalypse and threatens to plunge medicine back into the dark ages. | It raises the prospect of untreatable infections - what is known as the antibiotic apocalypse and threatens to plunge medicine back into the dark ages. |
| The DNA that gives bacteria resistance to colistin - the mcr-1 gene - can spread rapidly between species. | The DNA that gives bacteria resistance to colistin - the mcr-1 gene - can spread rapidly between species. |
| The concern is that colistin-resistance will now find its way into other superbugs to create an infections that doctors cannot treat. | The concern is that colistin-resistance will now find its way into other superbugs to create an infections that doctors cannot treat. |
| Prof Alan Johnson, from Public Health England, said: "Our assessment is that the public health risk posed by this gene is currently considered very low, but is subject to ongoing review as more information becomes available. | |
| "The organisms identified can be killed by cooking your food properly and all the bacteria we identified with this gene were responsive to other antibiotics, called carbapenems. | |
| "We will monitor this closely, and will provide any further public advice as needed." | "We will monitor this closely, and will provide any further public advice as needed." |
| The Chinese resistance cases were down to overuse of antibiotics in agriculture. | The Chinese resistance cases were down to overuse of antibiotics in agriculture. |
| Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics says 837kg of colistin was sold to British farm animals in 2014. | Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics says 837kg of colistin was sold to British farm animals in 2014. |
| Coilin Nunan, from the Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics, said: "We need the government, the European Commission and regulatory bodies like the Veterinary Medicines Directorate to respond urgently. | |
| "The routine preventative use in farming of colistin, and all antibiotics important in human medicine, needs to be banned immediately." | |
| The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said colistin made up just 0.2% of the antibiotics used in livestock in the UK. | The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said colistin made up just 0.2% of the antibiotics used in livestock in the UK. |
| A spokesperson said: "We are enhancing our surveillance for colistin resistance, and veterinary prescribers have voluntarily updated prescribing guidelines to restrict use of colistin in animals." | A spokesperson said: "We are enhancing our surveillance for colistin resistance, and veterinary prescribers have voluntarily updated prescribing guidelines to restrict use of colistin in animals." |
| Follow James on Twitter. | Follow James on Twitter. |