MRSA Notes

Nah, Im not talking about natural selection selecting us hu-mans out, but the process of natural selection that keeps bacterial and viral infections growing stronger and more resistant all the time.

While not directly related to MRSA, this article regarding some research done in Vancouver on disease transmission and the survival of the fittest bugs was interesting to me, and hopefully it will be to you too. Here is a snip that relates the process of gene sharing to file sharing - to appeal to the geek that is in you (I know its there…lol):

According to Finlay, the phenomenon can be compared to file sharing. “Bacteria have their own Internet,” he said. “They can download each other’s genetic sequences.” Scientists can easily determine which genes are most popular by looking at the number of microbial species that have “downloaded” them. Genes common to multiple species are considered important for long-term survival. Genes that allow infectious microbes to spread to as many hosts as possible are favored.

Ok so now we see how they are doing it - what can we do to stop it??

Share This