It’s no secret that antibiotic resistance is a major threat to human health, and the problem keeps getting bigger. According to a research team at Houston Methodist Hospital, a bacteria responsible for several illnesses — including strep throat and necrotizing fasciitis — may soon become completely resistant to the antibiotics used to treat it.
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Dr. James M. Musser worked with a research team to analyze the hospital’s genome sequence library, made up of 7,025 group A streptococcus strains. Each strain had been collected from multiple countries over the past few years, and 2% contained gene mutations the researchers noted as concerning. After additional testing on the mutated strains, the researchers found that they were in fact less vulnerable to beta-lactam antibiotics.
Prior to the new discovery, it was thought that A streptococcus was unable to develop a resistance to penicillin, because it lacked the necessary gene mutations. Now, however, researchers say it’s more important than ever to develop a vaccine for group A streptococcus.
“If this germ becomes truly resistant to these antibiotics, it would have a very serious impact on millions of children around the world, Musser said. “That is a very concerning but plausible notion based on our findings. Development of resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics would have a major public health impact globally.”
“We could be looking at a worldwide public health infectious disease problem,” he added. “When strep throat doesn’t respond to frontline antibiotics such as penicillin, physicians must start prescribing second-line therapies, which may not be as effective against this organism.”
According to the CDC, about 20-30% of sore throats in children and about 15% of sore throats in adults are related to group A streptococcus.
To keep your immune system functioning at its best, some of the most effective strategies include avoiding sugar, sleeping well, minimizing stress and including fiber and probiotics in your meal regimens. To learn more about how to keep your immune system in tip-top shape, read, “Top Tips to Boost Your Immunity.”