August 11, 2023
The Guardian covered the results of a global study published in the Lancet Planetary Health Journal. Researchers found that air pollution is driving the prevalence of antibiotic resistance which poses a significant threat to human health worldwide. The analysis used data from the One Health Trust’s ResMap, which included information from 100 countries over the span of almost 20 years. The analysis indicates that particulate matter PM2.5 can contain antibiotic-resistant bacteria and resistance genes, which may be transferred between environments and inhaled directly by humans.
According to the lead author, Prof Hong Chen of Zhejiang University in China, “until now, we didn’t have a clear picture of the possible links between air pollution and antibiotic resistance, but this work suggests the benefits of controlling air pollution could be twofold: not only will it reduce the harmful effects of poor air quality, it could also play a major role in combatting the rise and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.”
Find the article here.
