Gene points to Achilles' heel in MRSA superbug

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http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jE8Hj3LS2OsTn9YPbEZyZS5BLR1A?docId=CNG.bfe6c8bba0f3646d32ac6c2f4ac3e770.211

PARIS — Asian outbreaks of a notorious antibiotic-resistant super-germ are being driven by a gene that helps the bug colonise the nostrils, lungs and skin and evade the immune defences, scientists said on Sunday.

So-called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major worry for hospitals because of its ability to hole up in wounds, tubes and surgical devices, infecting patients whose immune system is already weak.

MRSA outbreaks happen in waves as new strains of the bacterium take over from older configurations.

But how these epidemics become established is a process that genetically has until now been unclear.