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LONDON, Jul 21, 2005 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- British scientists are warning a virulent new strain of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is posing a particular threat to children and young adults.
Two people reportedly died from the new superbug, including a healthy 18-year-old soldier who grazed his leg while jogging and a woman who contracted the infection at a gym.
The dangerous strain carries a toxin-producing gene, known as PVL, that makes it more virulent and invasive than other varieties of bacteria, the Independent reported Thursday. The toxin is said to destroy tissue, cause three-inch boils and, in rare cases, spread to a person's lungs causing pneumonia and death.
Antibiotic resistant bacteria are carried on the skin of healthy people and can be transmitted by skin-to-skin contact. Scientists say such bugs do not usually cause problems in people with healthy immune systems, but the PVL strain is more toxic, the newspaper said.
Physicians said children are at special risk because they are more likely to fall and scratch themselves, allowing bacteria to enter their bloodstream.
Copyright 2005 by United Press International.
