SkiptocontentHome / DiseaseDebriefs / MobilizedColistinResistance(MCR-1)NCCIDDiseaseDebriefsprovideCanadianpublichealthpractitionersandclinicianswithup-to-datereviewsofessentialinformationonprominentinfectiousdiseasesforCanadianpublichealthpractice.Whilenotaformalliteraturereview,informationisgatheredfromkeysourcesincludingthePublicHealthAgencyofCanada(PHAC),theUSACentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention (CDC),theWorldHealthOrganization(WHO)andpeerreviewedliterature.ThisNCCIDdebriefisdifferentthanotherNCCIDdebriefsasitprovidespublichealthpractitionersandclinicianswithup-todatereviewofessentialinformationonanewlyrecognizedthreattotreatmentofinfectiousdiseaseandnotonaninfectiousdiseaseoranoutbreakitself.Therecentlyrecognizedglobaldistributionofplasmid-mediatedresistancetothelastresortdrugcolistin,alongwithitswidespreaddisseminationwithinthehumanmicrobiome,posesasubstantialpublichealthriskasitlimitsthetreatmentoptionsforpatientswithinfectionscausedbymultidrug-resistant(MDR)gram-negativebacteriaandpromoteseasierspreadofcolistinresistanceamongbacteriaandhumans;thiscouldleadtooutbreaksofuntreatableinfections.Thegoalofthisdebriefistoprovideareviewofessentialinformationabouttheriskforthepatientsandhealthcaresystemsandaboutoptionsforactionstoreducetherisksandmitigatingepidemicdisseminationofmcr-1MDRbacteria.ThisdebriefwaspreparedbyAleksandraK.Wierzbowski. Questions,commentsandsuggestionsregardingthisdebriefaremostwelcomeandcanbesenttonccid@umanitoba.caWhatareDiseaseDebriefs?Tofindoutmoreabouthowinformationiscollected,seeourpagededicatedtotheDiseaseDebriefs.WhatareimportantcharacteristicsofMCR-1?WHATISMCR-1?MCR-1isanacronymforMobilizedColistinResistance. Itprotectsbacteriafromapolypeptideantimicrobialcalledcolistin(polymyxinE).WHATISTHEMODEOFACTIONOFMCR-1?MCR-1usesatargetsitemodificationmechanismtoprotectbacteriafromtheactionofcolistin(polymyxinE). ItisagenewhichencodesanenzymecalledphosphatidylethanolaminetransferasewhichtransfersthephosphatidylethanolamineresiduetothelipidAoft