In March, the first signs of antibiotic resistance in a pig sample became apparent. This week, it was made public that last month, a second pig tested positive for bacteria resistant to antibiotics, bringing about concerns of a new superbug.
This time, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists uncovered a strain of Escherichia coli located in the sample pig’s intestine. A gene within the bacteria made it resistant to antibiotic colistin--the main drug that’s supposed to fight these types of superbugs.