US Scientists Study Ancient Bacteria for Clues to Drug Resistance

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Scientists are studying an ancient pathogen for clues as to how to fight a drug-resistant "superbug" in hospitals and other healthcare settings. They've found that resistance to modern antibiotics dates back millions of years.

Enterococci are one of a group of six bacteria known as "superbugs," microbes that infect patients and are resistant to antibiotics, making them potentially lethal.

Scientists studying the enterococcus family found they developed resistance to harsh conditions some 450 million years ago, well before dinosaurs came on the scene.

They say lesser animals deposited feces on land that contained bacteria that learned to survive harsh environmental conditions, such as drying by the sun.