New antibiotic-resistant gene found in England
The gene was first identified in samples taken from pigs in Southern China.
A form of bacteria that is resistant to our last group of antibiotics has been found in samples taken from food and humans in England and Wales.
In November, a report published in British medical journal The Lancet described the discovery of a new gene called MCR-1. First found in samples taken from pigs and humans in Southern China, the gene allows bacteria to be highly resistant to polymyxins - our last line of antibiotics.
Now, new research by Public Health England's Gastrointestinal Bacteria Reference Unit (GBRU) has discovered MCR-1 in around 15 different samples taken from the Public Health England (PHE) sequence archive.
This includes 10 samples of human salmonella, two samples from poultry imported from the EU, and three samples of human E-coli derived from two patients.
Although the gene is a relatively new discovery, this new finding is confirmation that MCR-1 is already present in England and Wales in bacteria harboured by humans.
Professor Alan Johnson, head of the Department of Healthcare Associated Infection (HCAI) and Antibiotic Resistance at PHE, said: “The MCR-1 gene, recently identified as a cause of resistance to the antibiotic colistin, has been found in a very small number of samples of bacteria - 15 out of 24,000, from humans and food tested in the UK.
“Our assessment is that the public health risk posed by this gene is currently considered very low but is subject to ongoing review as more information becomes available. The organisms identified can be killed by cooking your food properly and all the bacteria we identified with this gene were responsive to other antibiotics, called carbapenems.
“We will monitor this closely, and will provide any further public advice as needed.”
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is inviting applications from veterinary students to attend a one-week extramural studies (EMS) placement in July 2026.
