How serious is the threat posed by new ‘superbug’?
Reports of the arrival in the U.S. of a new superbug that is resistant to an antibiotic of last resort have set off alarm bells among public health officials. Last year, a team led by Northeastern professor Kim Lewis discovered teixobactin, an antibiotic that eliminates bacteria without encountering any detectable resistance. We asked him to explain the new superbug, how worried we should be, and how it might be stopped.