carbapenem resistant Enterobacteriaceae 'nightmare bacteria' Harvard study declares

CRE the antonym for carbapenem resistant Enterobacteriaceae is one of the most dangerous and scary widespread bacteria which is resistant to antibiotics. With studies being conducted to find the effects of it and how hard it is to deal with, CRE has been branded with the tag of being the ‘nightmare bacteria’. The name was done after the studies found out that the CRE has been immune to even the last resort antibiotics.

In a recent research undertaken by the Harvard scientists, the earlier knowledge about the CRE seemed faint as the same has been found to exist with much wider appearance and disaster. The CRE is known to exist in various species across the country with each species dealing with its own medication needs and fighting.

The species of CRE is found to be spreading and getting shared in new species with medication resistance. And the spread of the same is happening from person to person without any visible symptoms. While most medications are focused on treating the infections caused because of CRE, the new research have brought the tension more intensely as the cases are understood to be more intense than it seemed. Some medications might just not be able to treat the CRE that exists with no visible signs or infections.

For fighting with the CRE there is a need to observe and study the pattern of the transmission of the bacteria in communities and improve the healthcare facilities says the associate professor of epidemiology at the Harvard Chan School and also the senior author of study, William Hanage.

CRE is a bacteria which is proven to be resistant to antibiotics. The class of bacteria has been under study since years and has been found ineffective and immune to even the last resort drugs and antibiotics which even include the carbapenems. With a widespread presence in communities, and transmitting through patience in hospitals and healthcare centers, the bacteria has caused about 600 deaths in USA each year with about 9300 types of infections.

The researchers picked about 250 samples from hospitals of Boston and California to study its effects with aims which mainly were:

• CRE’s generic diversity 
• CRE’s outbreaks and its process-timings 
• The study of CRE spreading in hospitals and people 
• Learn the spread of resistance because of CRE in different species 

Dr Hanage’s study revealed that a riot of diversity existed both in the CRE species as well as carbapenem genes resistance. The research also stated that there is free movement of bacteria from species to species and thus an increased threat because of CRE. The resistance to the CRE is found to be more than ever and is evolving with time which shall make the practice of solving the mystery even more difficult with each passing day. And thus scientists insist genomic surveillance of these dangerous bacteria to get clearer understanding and control over the mechanism in which it works.

The scientists are finding ways to stop the transmission as an early measure to fight against the resistance which shall prove helpful in achieving major understanding and creating ways to fight with it. The treatments shall be effective only when the transmission is stopped and the study is being conducted for that too!