Climate change is already affecting the spread of antibiotic-resistant strains of Salmonella worldwide. This is evidenced by a new study published in the journal The Lancet Planetary Health, Bloomberg reports, according to UNN.
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In the study, scientists from the University of Cambridge and the Chinese Academy of Sciences analyzed more than 480,000 Salmonella genomes from 139 countries for the period from 1940 to 2023. They found that rising temperatures and changes in precipitation patterns are associated with a 10% global increase in antibiotic resistance genes in Salmonella bacteria.
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According to the researchers, the total number of antibiotic resistance genes in Salmonella increased by 38% during the study period. The largest spikes associated with climate change were recorded in the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. Scientists explain that higher temperatures accelerate bacterial growth and gene exchange, while floods and droughts facilitate the spread of resistant microorganisms in water.
The study's authors warn that by 2100, the level of Salmonella's resistance to antibiotics could continue to rise. At the same time, under a scenario of emission reductions and control over antibiotic use, this figure could be 24% lower.
These findings underscore the importance of mitigating the effects of climate change to combat antibiotic resistance,