Discovery of Antibiotic Resistance in Newly Identified Bacterium

Staphylococcus borealis has been found to be resistant to several different types of antibiotics, posing a potentially significant problem for the elderly.

In 2020, a research group at UiT The Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø discovered a previously unknown bacterium. You may have heard of Staphylococcus aureus (golden staph), but this one belongs to the white variety. 

The newcomer, discovered in Tromsø in Northern Norway, was proudly named Staphylococcus borealis (S. borealis) after the Northern Lights.

But how dangerous is it really, and is it a threat to us at all? 

33 Percent Antibiotic Resistance

To investigate, researchers collected bacterial samples stored in freezers at several Norwegian hospitals.

The samples went as far back as 2014, and the researchers conducted new tests to see if they could identify the new bacterium in the old samples. Meanwhile, new samples arriving at the UiT lab from 2020 to 2024 were tested continuously. In total, the researchers collected and analysed 129 samples from seven Norwegian hospitals.

It turns out that S. borealis is resistant to more than three different classes of antibiotics in one-third of the cases where it was tested. 

"We see the most resistance against the antibiotic classes fusidic acid, cephalosporins, penicillins, macrolides, and fluoroquinolones," explains Jorunn Pauline Cavanagh, who led the work on bacterial analyses.

Moreover, the bacterium also appears to be highly adept at acquiring protective mechanisms from other bacterial species. This means it could potentially develop antibiotic resistance quickly, when attacked with the medicines currently available.

A Problem for the Elderly

S. borealis is a bacterium that lives on our skin, and researchers have found that it can become problematic when your immune system is weakened. This makes it particularly concerning for the elderly and for those who have had knee or hip replacements. 

"This bacterium is an opportunist that can cause illness when your immune system is compromised. For example, we see that it can form what’s called biofilm around knee prostheses and cause infections that can be difficult to treat," explains Jorunn Pauline Cavanagh. 

Researchers are now working to determine which diseases this bacterium can cause. Preliminary findings suggest it may lead to urinary tract infections, as well as inflammation in areas where implants are present.

"We do know that it causes mastitis in dromedary camels. This is because we’ve published the bacterium’s genetic profile in international databases, which other researchers use to compare their own bacterial findings. So, more possibilities may emerge," says Cavanagh.

Contact Information

Jorunn Pauline Cavanagh
Associate professor at UiT The Arctic University of Norway
Phone: +47 40 49 84 90

Scientific Reference

https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.01988-24

This bacterium outsmarts our defences, but we are on its heals

POPULAR SCIENCE: Meet Staphylococcus aureus, the ultimate microscopic escape artist that invades, adapts, tricks, and thrives within our bodies.

As part of the larger global crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus represents a formidable challenge.

You might have heard about MRSA? This is the version that is resistant to the antibiotic Methicillin, and it is pushing modern medicine to its limits.

Infections with Staphylococcus aureus range from mild skin irritations to serious life-threatening diseases like pneumonia and bloodstream infections. This places it at center stage of the ongoing battle between microbes and medicine.

The invisible battle inside your body

Whether it’s dodging your immune system’s attacks or hijacking your cells’ energy, this microbe has evolved survival strategies that challenge our immune system and even our best antibiotics. The result is a brutal match between two hardcore players chasing each other inside your body.

On one side of this war is Staphylococcus aureus. On the other side is your strong immune system, constantly defending you.

But how does this tiny invader manage to outsmart such a powerful defence network as our immune system?

Read the whole story in Researcher's zone

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Arnfinn Sundsfjord  –  Professor

Kontaktperson for AMR Bridge, og ansvarlig for prosjektet ledet fra Tromsø.

Pål Jarle Johnsen  –  Professor

Lars Ailo Bongo  –  Professor

Klara Stensvåg  –  Professor

Jørgen Berge  –  Dean

Gunbjørg Svineng  –  Dean

Arne O. Smalås  –  Dean

Benjamin P. Howden  –  Professor

Deniz Tasdemir  –  Professor

Ursula Theuretzbacher  –  Dr.

Jörgen Johansson  –  Professor