Update on mcr-1 gene in the United States

Update on mcr-1 gene in the United States

CDC released two reports today describing patients with bacteria containing the mcr-1 gene. The mcr-1 gene can make bacteria resistant to the antibiotic colistin, a crucial last-resort drug for some life-threatening, multidrug-resistant infections. The gene also has the potential to spread quickly to other bacteria. The reports describe patients fromPennsylvania and Connecticut and the public health investigation that followed.

The mcr-1 gene was first reported in China in November of 2015. Since that time, CDC and federal partners have been searching for the mcr-1 gene in bacteria in the United States. The discovery of the mcr-1 gene illustrates domestic and global challenges around antibiotic resistance. The reports today also emphasizes the importance of a coordinated public health response.  

Learn more:

• Investigation of First Identified mcr-1 Gene in an Isolate from a U.S. Patient — Pennsylvania, 2016
• Investigation of Escherichia coli Harboring the mcr-1 Resistance Gene — Connecticut, 2016
• Tracking mcr-1 gene in the U.S. and data used to create the U.S. tracking map.
• Investments in CDC’s Antibiotic Resistance Solutions Initiative.