Ganges superbugs linked to pilgrimages

Ganges superbugs linked to pilgrimages

Posted by maghestra on Saturday, March 8, 2014 0

Research has shown that the spread of antibiotic-resistance at sacred sites along the Ganges is linked to annual human pilgrimages

Scientists found that in the pilgrimage season levels of resistance genes that lead to “superbugs” were found to be about 60 times greater than other times of the year. The team from Newcastle University, UK and the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi sampled water and sediments at seven sites.

The team published their findings in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, and say that it is important to protect people visiting and living at these sites while also making sure nothing interferes with these important religious practices.

They argue that preventing the spread of resistance genes that promote life-threatening bacteria could be achieved by improving waste management at key pilgrimage sites.

“This isn’t a local problem – it’s a global one,” explains Professor David Graham, an environmental engineer based at Newcastle University who has spent over ten years studying the environmental transmission of antibiotic resistance around the world

“We studied pilgrimage areas because we suspected such locations would provide new information about resistance transmission via the environment. And it has – temporary visitors from outside the region overload local waste handling systems, which seasonally reduces water quality at the normally pristine sites.

“The specific resistance gene we studied, called blaNDM-1, causes extreme multi-resistance in many bacteria, therefore we must understand how this gene spreads in the environment.

“If we can stem the spread of such antibiotic resistant genes locally – possibly through improved sanitation and waste treatment - we have a better chance of limiting their spread on larger scales, creating global solutions by solving local problems.”

Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the aim of the research was to understand how antibiotic resistance was transmitted due to a specific human activity. Local “hot-spots” of antibiotic resistance exist around the world, particularly densely-populated regions with inconsistent sanitation and poor water quality.

The story from Newcastle University press team was picked up by the BBC and specialist publications.

Reference: PN: 18-14

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