New superbug could be epidemic, scientists find

Expert urges strict regulations on use of antibiotics, further research

Chinese scientists have discovered a new drug-resistant strain of bacteria that can spread stealthily and has epidemic potential.

The superbug is a strain of Salmonella typhimurium whose plasmid - mobile DNA that can be easily copied and shared between bacteria - contains the MCR1.6 gene, a newly discovered variant of the drug-resistant MCR1 gene.