Superbugs evolve inside the human body -- tracking them in real time could help save patients, scientists say

By Shira Gordon published 19 hours ago

A new proof-of-concept study explored the feasibility of tracking the evolution of superbug infections in real time to help save infected patients.

Bacterial "superbugs" can gain resistance to antibiotics as the microbes are actively infecting a person. Now, a new study suggests that treatments for these serious infections could be improved by tracking these genetic changes as they unfold in the bacteria.

"Our study is the first to show that by tracking bacterial evolution in real-time, genome sequencing can reveal tricks bacteria use to survive, giving doctors the power to stay one step ahead and tailor treatment to the specific bacterial strain," study co-author Dr. Stefano Giulieri, a clinician researcher and infectious-disease physician at the Doherty Institute in Melbourne, Australia, said in a statement.

The study, published in May in the journal Nature Communications, focused on Staphylococcus aureus. This bacterium is carried by about 30% of people and often causes no harm, but if it overgrows and triggers an infection, it can become resistant to antibiotic treatments. When bacteria are resistant to several antibiotics, they are considered dangerous superbugs.

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https://www.livescience.com/health/viruses-infections-disease/superbugs-evolve-inside-the-human-body-tracking-them-in-real-time-could-help-save-patients-scientists-say