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Could muskrats spread antibiotic resistance?
Muskrats are semi-aquatic rodents prized for their musk - a strong-smelling substance produced by specialized glands - which can be used in expensive perfumes, cosmetics and medicines. But there's a potential down-side: a team of scientists at Pusan National University, South Korea, have found that muskrat excrement contains a potent antibiotic that can kill Salmonella and Vibrio bacteria, both of which cause food poisoning. Could these animals completely eclipse GMOs as a possible source of incurable antibiotic-resistant disease?