Enterobacter bugandensis:
Scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) have carried out a collaborative study of the behaviour of multi-drug resistant pathogens aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
- Enterobacter Bugandensis is a relatively new species within the Enterobacter genus.
- It was first described in 2013, after being isolated from cases of bloodstream infections in Uganda.
- It is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium.
- Like other Enterobacter species, E. bugandensis is typically found in various environments, including soil, water, and the gastrointestinal tracts of animals and humans.
- It can cause a range of infections, primarily in immunocompromised These include bloodstream infections, respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, and wound infections.
- It has shown resistance to multiple antibiotics, which makes treatment challenging.
- The mechanisms of resistance can include beta-lactamase production, efflux pumps, and mutations that reduce drug uptake.
