Antibiotic Resistance: Drug Resistance Gene Has Spread From East Coast To Midwest Bacteria

A resistance gene that allows bacteria to beat an important class of antibiotics has started to appear in microorganisms taken from Midwestern patients, according to researchers. Less than a decade ago, scientists first noticed the BlaKPC gene in bacteria taken from East Coast patients. Bacteria with an active copy of the gene can defeat carbapenems, antibiotics reserved for use in the most critically ill patients.