Worry antibiotic-resistant 'genes' found in Antarctica could unleash disease in humans

dailystar.co.uk:

scientists discovered bacteria that is resistant to antibiotics and that may be able to spread out of Antarctica, where it was found.

The soil in the region where they made the discovery, combined with melting ice, creates conditions for genes - that may be millions of years old - to thrive.Scientists from the University of Chile collected several samples from the Antarctic Peninsula from 2017 to 2019 and found the bacteria with genes that give them natural antibiotic and antimicrobial resistance.In addition, worryingly, the bacteria have the potential to spread out of the polar regions, the scientists warned. "We know that the soils of the Antarctic Peninsula, one of the polar areas most impacted by melting ice, host a great diversity of bacteria," Andres Marcoleta, a researcher from the University of Chile who headed the study published in the Science of the Total Environment journal in March, said."And that some of them constitute a potential source of ancestral genes that confer resistance to antibiotics."He added: "In a possible scenario, these genes could leave this reservoir and promote the emergence and proliferation of infectious diseases."Referring to several aspects brought on by weather, for example the melting ice, Marcoleta said climate change may have had a role in fostering conditions for the bacteria to thrive. For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here."It is worth asking whether climate change could have an impact on the occurrence of infectious diseases," Marcoleta said.Researchers found that the Pseudomonas bacteria, one of the predominant bacteria groups in the Antarctic Peninsula, are not pathogenic but can be a.