in order to do so , crotty alexander and her team tested two groups of mrsa cases in smokers .
in lab studies in human cells and whole mice , mrsa ( methicillin - resistant staphylococcus aureus ) bacteria exposed to cigarette smoke extract become harder to kill , said dr. laura e. crotty alexander , a pulmonologist at ucsd and the veterans affairs san diego healthcare system .
crotty alexander is a ucsd assistant clinical professor of medicine and staff physician at va san diego healthcare system .
cigarette smoke has long been known to have a multitude of damaging effects , but thanks to recent research we now know it also fuels the virulent rampage of superbugs .
— hayne palmour iv cigarette smoke exposure stresses mrsa , causing it to alter its cell walls to repel toxic substances , crotty alexander is a ucsd assistant clinical professor of medicine and staff physician at va san diego healthcare system .
mrsa becomes more resistant when exposed to electronic cigarette vapors .
macrophages , or immune cells cigarette smoke functions much like an alarm to the superbug mrsa , warning it to activate its defenses , according to a new study led by uc san diego scientists .
crotty alexander is senior author of the paper , published monday in the journal infection and immunity .
according to a study published in the journal infection and immunity by researchers at the university of california , san diego school of medicine , antibiotic - resistant bacteria , specifically mrsa , are vastly more difficult to kill when exposed to cigarette smoke .