] The CDC is still analysing the bacteria responsible for ] these outbreaks. But Bancroft says initial tests show the ] same strain is responsible for all the outbreaks in Los ] Angeles, and that it appears to be the same as a strain ] first isolated in New York in 1997. It may be more ] virulent because it has a gene called PVL, which codes ] for a potent toxin. More info on the Superbug New Scientist - Superbug strain hits the healthy |