The common use of antibiotics is linked to the growth of “almost untreatable” superbugs.

A common antibiotic used to treat liver diseases could give rise to an “almost untreatable” superbugwarned scientists in a new study.

The antibioticrifaximin, has enabled the worldwide emergence of vancomycin-resistant enterococcus faecium, or VRE, a superbac that frequently causes serious infections in hospitalized patients, according to an eight-year study published in the journal. Nature.

The international team of researchers behind the study warns that the use of rifaximin leads bacterial resistance to daptomycin, one of the last effective treatment options against VRE infections.

The findings challenge the long-held belief that rifaximin is “low risk” to cause resistance to antibiotics.

The researchers emphasize the need to better understand the negative impact of antibiotic use and to strengthen their responsible use in clinical practice.

They are concerned that these superbugs it could be transmitted to other patients in the hospital.

In the latest study, the researchers found changes in the DNA of daptomycin-resistant VRE that were absent in susceptible strains.

Further analysis showed that the use of rifaximin caused these changes and triggered the emergence of daptomycin-resistant VRE.

Rifaximin triggers specific changes in an enzyme called RNA polymerase. The changes lead to a cascade of other changes in the bacteria’s cell membrane, causing cross-resistance to daptomycin.

“When bacteria become resistant to an antibiotic, it’s a bit like gaining a new skill in a video game, like super speed. But when exposed to rifaximin, the VRE bacteria don’t just get a boost, they gain multiple abilities like super speed and super strength, allowing them to easily defeat even the final boss,” he explained study co-author Adrianna Turner.

“Rifaximin doesn’t just make bacteria resistant to a single antibiotic; it can make them resistant to others, including critical antibiotics of last resort, such as daptomycin.”

The study highlights the benefits of using genomics-based surveillance to detect emerging drug resistance in bacteria.

It says doctors need to be cautious when treating VRE infections in patients who have taken rifaximin, and drug regulatory bodies need to consider similar consequences when approving antibiotics.

“Rifaximin is still a very effective drug when used appropriately, and patients with advanced liver disease who are currently taking it should continue to do so,” said Jason Kwong, another study author.

“But we need to understand the future implications both when treating individual patients and from a public health perspective.”