MELBOURNE, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Scientists in Australia have identified a key gene that helps dangerous gut bacteria withstand even hospital-grade disinfectants intended to kill them.
New research reveals that the bacteria Clostridioides difficile has picked up the key gene that gives its dormant spores a free pass against antibiotics and cleaning products, according to a statement released Wednesday by Australia's Monash University.
Its spores can remain dormant and later activate in suitable environments such as the human gut, posing a particular risk in hospitals where the bacterium can cause potentially deadly diarrhea, according to the study published in Nature Communications.
Researchers found that the antibiotic resistance gene produces a protein that replaces a key spore-building protein, allowing the bacteria to produce tougher spores that can survive hospital-grade cleaning products and high laundry temperatures, potentially making infections harder to control and helping resistant strains spread.
The researchers are now investigating ways to target the spores and address this new type of antibiotic resistance. ■