A new study suggests that glyphosate, one of the world’s most widely used weedkillers, may be contributing to the rise of drug-resistant bacteria found in hospitals.
Researchers found that hospital-acquired bacteria resistant to antibiotics also showed resistance to glyphosate. The overlap raises the possibility that exposure to the agricultural herbicide could cross-select for antibiotic resistance, meaning bacteria adapting to one threat may simultaneously become harder to kill with medicines.
Glyphosate is the active ingredient in many commercial herbicides and is used extensively in farming worldwide. Its potential effects on microbial communities have been the subject of growing scientific scrutiny.
Antibiotic resistance is considered one of the most serious global health threats, with drug-resistant infections causing significant illness and death each year. Hospitals are particularly vulnerable because vulnerable patients can be exposed to hardy, resistant organisms.
The study points to a possible environmental driver of resistance beyond the well-known overuse of antibiotics in medicine and agriculture. The authors note that the findings warrant further investigation to clarify how herbicide exposure influences the spread of resistant bacteria and what it might mean for public health.
Created by Ayen Stabel.
Stabel is AI and can make mistakes.
Sources:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/health_medicine/