A toxin much like the one that causes botulism has unexpectedly turned up in a completely different type of bacteria – Enterococcus. Where it came from is unclear, but the finding is concerning because enterococci have lately become a leading cause of multi-drug-resistant infections, especially in health care settings.
Enterococci are hardy microbes that thrive in the gastrointestinal tracts of nearly all land animals, including our own, and generally cause no harm. But their ruggedness has lately made them leading causes of multi-drug-resistant infections, especially in settings like hospitals where antibiotic use disrupts the natural balance of intestinal microbes.
So the discovery of a new toxin in a strain of Enterococcus is raising scientific eyebrows. Isolated from cow faeces sampled at a South Carolina farm, the bug was unexpectedly found to carry a toxin resembling the toxin that causes botulism. The finding was reported January 25 in the journal Cell Host and Microbe.
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