PRO/AMR> Antimicrobial environmental contamination (41): UK, river plastics, ARB, ARGs
Reply-To: noreply@isid.org
ANTIMICROBIAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION (41): UK, RIVER PLASTICS,
ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANT BACTERIA, ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE GENES
A ProMED-mail post
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Date: Wed 1 Nov 2023
Source: CIDRAP (Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy)
[edited]
https://tinyurl.com/4k3pwe77
New research conducted in the United Kingdom provides another reason
to be concerned about the proliferation of plastic in the
environment.
In a study published today [1 Nov 2023] in Microbiome, a team led by
researchers from the University of Warwick found that new and degraded
plastics submerged for a week in a river harbored opportunistic
“microbial hitchhikers” like Pseudomonas aeruginosa and
Acinetobacter baumannii, as well as a distinct set of antibiotic
resistance genes (ARGs). The study authors say the findings highlight
concerns that the “riverine plastisphere” could serve as a reservoir
of antibiotic resistance.
“The environmental impact that plastics pose if they act as a
reservoir for either pathogenic bacteria or ARGs is aggravated by the
persistence of plastics in the environment due to their recalcitrance
and buoyancy,” the study authors wrote.
But the authors also note that the study highlights the potential for
opportunistic pathogens and ARGs to flourish throughout the freshwater
environment.
Different pathogens grow on plastic