"A new superbug that is resistant to the antibiotic of last resort has been spotted in the United States. Twice.

US researchers reported Thursday that the mcr-1 gene has been found in E. coli bacteria retrieved from a woman from Pennsylvania. Separately, the US Department of Agriculture reported that the gene had been found in a sample of intestine from a pig. It did not provide further details, though a source told STAT the pig was raised in Texas.

The mcr-1 gene was first discovered last fall by Chinese scientists. In the weeks that followed, a cascade of scientific articles emerged from a range of countries reporting on finding the gene in animals, commercial meat, and occasionally in people."

Helen Branswell reports for STAT May 26, 2016. [2]