Scientists Find Manuka Honey Kills MRSA ‘Superbug’
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Honey is a surprisingly complex and mysterious substance, known to have antibacterial properties, but which continues to reveal new qualities apparently favorable to human health. Now, scientists in Australia have discovered that a specific type of honey, is highly effective at killing the multi-resistant “superbug” MRSA. The discovery could give medical science a way to combat the spread of multi-resistant bacterial strains.
As reported by the New Zealand-based website, Stuff:
“Most bacteria that cause infections in hospitals are resistant to at least one antibiotic and there is an urgent need for new ways to treat and control surface infections,” says Associate Professor Dee Carter, of the university’s School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences.
“But bugs that are resistant to a huge variety of antibiotics are not resistant to honey … we’ve never seen an organism that has any kind of intrinsic resistance.”
There there is no apparent “intrinsic resistance” to the special properties of at least this one type of honey, means there might be a way to prevent the evolutionary “selection” process from generating honey-resistant bacteria, buying time to develop treatments that could eradicate the threat of MRSA infection. Stopping the spread of MRSA is of vital importance to the quality of medicine in general, as staph infections impede treatment and recovery.
And MRSA is spreading, making treatment for the bacteria itself, for staph infections, or for reliable in-hospital treatment of other ailments. The website PRLOG reports:
In 1974, MRSA infections accounted for 2% of the total number of staph infections; in 1995 it was 22% and in 2004 it was 63%. In fact, a report issued by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control found that MRSA infections are 8.6 times more prevalent than previous estimates and that the antibiotic-resistant bacteria is found in all wards throughout most hospitals.
Manuka honey, found in New Zealand and Australia, but cultivable around the world. It’s thought to be the flowers that grow on the Manuka bush, not the bees, that are unique in generating this capability to kill MRSA bacteria. Scientists in Australia are now working to extract the specific anti-bacterial properties of Manuka honey, refine and test it in medically verifiable terms, to develop a standard of treatment for MRSA.
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[...] There there is no apparent “intrinsic resistance” to the special properties of at least this one type of honey, means there might be a way to prevent the evolutionary “selection” process from generating honey-resistant bacteria, buying time to develop treatments that could eradicate the threat of MRSA infection. Stopping the spread of MRSA is of vital importance to the quality of medicine in general, as staph infections impede treatment and recovery. [Complete text...] [...]
[...] There there is no apparent “intrinsic resistance” to the special properties of at least this one type of honey, means there might be a way to prevent the evolutionary “selection” process from generating honey-resistant bacteria, buying time to develop treatments that could eradicate the threat of MRSA infection. Stopping the spread of MRSA is of vital importance to the quality of medicine in general, as staph infections impede treatment and recovery. [Complete text...] [...]