Antibiotic resistant bacteria have become a worldwide public health issue. Researchers have identified a new strain of Salmonella typhimurium, called ST313, that has become more virulent among people living in sub-Saharan Africa regions.
The bacteria have undergone genetic changes that have allowed them to not only become resistant to commonly used antibiotics, but they are also less responsive to drugs in which they have not gained resistance. Researcher Dr. Chisomo Msefula states, "Our findings show that ST313 has acquired a block of genes that make it resistant to the common antibiotics. The genes jumped into ST313 on a mobile genetic element called a transposon, bringing with it additional genes that make the strain more deadly." The researchers hope that insight gained from this study can be used to develop new vaccines to fight against these and similar pathogens.
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