A new salmonella strain is being labeled by scientists as a “superbug” strain, since it has been shown to be resistant to multiple drugs that are generally effective in treating severe salmonella infections.
There have been about 500 cases of the new strain, which is known as S. Kentucky. Cases have appeared in France, Denmark, England and Wales between 2002 and 2008, according a study. The strain has also reached Canada and the U.S., as well as various parts of Africa and the Middle East.
It’s been suggested that the infections may have resulted from eating contaminated imported foods or through contact with infected people, according to the Pasteur Institute researchers.
The study, published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, also reported a different multi-state outbreak of a strain of antibiotic-resistant salmonella, called S. Heidelberg, which has affected 77 people.
"We hope that this publication might stir awareness among national and international health, food and agricultural authorities so that they take the necessary measures to control and stop the dissemination of this strain before it spreads globally, as did another multidrug-resistant strain of salmonella, Typhimurium DT104, starting in the 1990s," said Simon Le Hello, one of the study’s authors, in a release.
There are approximately 1.7 million salmonella infections in North America each year. Most salmonella infections only produce mild gastroenteritis, stomach cramps, and diarrhea.
