Using analysis and sequencing technologies, scientists created a graph of the evolution of the bacterium Enterococcus faecalis. This
The results, published today in NatureCommunications, show that this bacterium, E. faecalis, has the ability to adapt very quickly to selection pressures. For example, the use of chemicals in agriculture, as well as the development of new drugs, which caused the emergence of different strains of the same bacterium. Because of its widespread occurrence, scientists suggest screening people for this type of bacteria upon admission to the hospital in the same way as other superbugs. The goal is to reduce the likelihood of infection developing and spreading in the healthcare system.
Enterococcus faecalis is a common bacteriumwhich in most people is found in the intestinal tract and does not cause harm to the owner. However, if the immune system is weakened and enters the bloodstream, it can cause serious complications.
In hospitals, resistant toantibiotic-resistant strains of E. faecalis, and it was initially thought that the widespread use of antibiotics and other controls in modern hospitals led to the development of these strains.
In a new study, scientists from the Wellcome InstituteSanger, the University of Oslo and the University of Cambridge analyzed approximately 2,000 E. faecalis specimens from 1936 to the present. They used bloodstream isolates from patients and stool samples from animals and healthy people.
Using genome sequencing (includingchromosomes and plasmids) using Oxford Nanopore technology, the team mapped the evolutionary path of the bacterium. In addition, they created a timeline and map of the development of its various strains. Including those that are now recognized as resistant to antibiotics.
It turned out that resistant strains appeared earlier than scientists thought. This occurred before the widespread use of antibiotics.
Researchers have found that agriculture and earlymedical practices such as the use of arsenic and mercury have influenced the evolution of certain strains. In addition to this, strains similar to the antibiotic-resistant variants that now threaten hospitals have been found in wild birds. The study showed how successfully this type of bacteria adapts and easily transforms into new strains.
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