Scientists have discovered that flies can spread bacteria resistant to two types of antibiotics, one of them being a last resort drug, according to a NOVA Next report.
Researchers found that flies at a poultry farm in China were carrying bacteria with genes resistant to carbapenems and colistin. The team also found E. coli, containing the colistin-resist gene mcr-1, in 1 percent of patients in two large Chinese cities. Neither city typically uses colistin to treat humans. However, farmers sometimes use colistin as a livestock growth enhancer, causing the mcr-1 gene to evolve in China more than a year ago.
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The researchers believe that the flies may be carrying the bacteria from infected farms to the cities. Researchers are now worried that with flies carrying the drug-resistant bacteria, superbugs may spread more quickly than anticipated, according to the report.