NEW DELHI, May 27: An extensive analysis has revealed a significant correlation between climate change and an increase in antibiotic resistance genes within the Salmonella bacteria, a common cause of foodborne illnesses and typhoid fever. The study indicates that environmental shifts are accelerating the adaptation of bacteria to antibiotics.
Information was available with The Chenab Times indicating that the analysis, published in the journal The Lancet Planetary Health, found that 82 percent of the countries surveyed experienced a rise in antibiotic resistance genes in Salmonella. The most pronounced climate-associated increases were observed in the Middle East and North Africa, followed by South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. The researchers noted that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) does not escalate linearly with rising temperatures; instead, the complexity of resistance gene changes is influenced by both temperature and rainfall patterns.
This comprehensive study examined over 480,000 Salmonella genome samples collected globally between 1940 and 2023 from 139 countries and regions. The findings underscore a global average increase of 38 percent in antibiotic resistance genes in Salmonella over the entire study period.
“Climate change is associated with a 10 per cent global rise in the abundance of salmonella ARGs (antimicrobial resistance genes), with increases observed in 82 (82 per cent) of 100 countries,” the authors stated in their findings.
Previous research has already established a link between intensifying climate change and the proliferation of antibiotic resistance. It is suggested that escalating global temperatures and more frequent extreme weather phenomena can exacerbate the prevalence of infectious diseases, consequently increasing the demand for antibiotics and antimicrobials for treatment.
The research also involved modeling the projected changes in Salmonella’s antibiotic resistance genes by the year 2100, taking into account various climate emissions scenarios. The results suggest that if nations adhere to low-emission climate targets and reinforce responsible antibiotic usage practices, resistance gene levels could potentially be 24 percent lower compared to scenarios with the highest emissions.
The study’s authors emphasized the critical need to integrate climate change considerations into the ongoing monitoring and management of antimicrobial resistance. They further highlighted that robust climate action, coupled with judicious antibiotic use and enhanced disease surveillance across human, animal, and environmental sectors, will be vital in curbing the future propagation of AMR.
The Chenab Times News Desk