Dr. House

Dr. House
Dr. House

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Sex in the Sink: Gene-Swapping Bacteria Are Making New Superbugs

Bacteria appear to be having the microbial equivalent of inter-species sex in hospital sinks, swapping chunks of DNA that render them impervious to antibiotics, researchers reported Wednesday.
The findings may help explain the rise in drug-resistant “superbugs” in hospitals, and they suggest that they may sometimes be breeding on site, as opposed to being carried in by patients. 

A great example of antigenic shift.

 

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