|Videos|June 18, 2016

How Did a Pennsylvania Woman Acquire a Rare Superbug?

Jason C. Gallagher, PharmD, president, Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists, explains if we know how the case of mcr-1 E. coli superbug was contracted.

Jason C. Gallagher, PharmD, FCCP, FIDSA, BCPS, president, Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists, explains if we know how the case of mcr-1 E. coli superbug was contracted.

Interview Transcript (slightly modified for readability)

“The report was very brief and we don’t know a lot of specific details. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating this along with the Pennsylvania Department of Health to see if they can figure out exactly where this came from in her. What is notable, is that she has no history of travel.

This type of resistance was first reported in China late last year, but once they started looking for it, it’s been found in over a dozen different countries. This is the first time we know of that it’s been found in the United States. We don’t know how she acquired it.”


Related to this article

Cefiderocol Continues to Show Activity Against Resistant Gram-Negative Infections
Shionogi data presented at IDWeek 2026 demonstrated a 76.7% clinical response with cefiderocol in carbapenem-resistant respiratory infections and high in vitro activity against resistant P aeruginosa VAP isolates. Christine Slover, PharmD, vice president, Infectious Diseases US Medical Affairs, Shionogi, offers insights on the data as well as clinical considerations for providers when weighing the antibiotic for patients.
Household Contacts Drive Most Hepatitis B Exposures in Young Children
Karen B. Jacobson, MD, MPH, of Kaiser Permanente Northern California, presented data at IDWeek 2026 showing 58.2% of children younger than five years exposed to active hepatitis B in the home were exposed by someone other than their birth mother, a risk maternal screening alone would miss under the CDC’s revised birth dose recommendation.
Inhaled Amikacin Shows Low Resistance Rates in MAC Lung Disease in ENCORE
In the phase 3b ENCORE trial, adding amikacin liposome inhalation suspension (ALIS) to azithromycin and ethambutol significantly improved culture conversion in newly diagnosed MAC lung disease, while treatment-emergent amikacin (2.2%) and macrolide (1.1%) resistance stayed rare. Kevin Winthrop, MD, provides insights around the study.