Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Found in River Water

Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Found in River Ganga

  • Research Stash
  • News
  • 2.8K

Antibiotic resistance appears to be spreading in the environment. A new study has found a large number of bacteria which are resistant to commonly used antibiotics in stretches of river Ganga.

Members of research team at BHU
Members of the research team at BHU

Residues of antibiotics reach water bodies through waste discharged from households, drug manufacturing units, hospitals and poultry industry where antibiotics are used in feed. These antibiotics in water lead to the evolution of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics, which then grow in numbers and spread in the environment. The situation could pose a danger to human health as an infection with such kind of resistant bacteria could become untreatable.

The new study, done by researchers from the Banaras Hindu University (BHU), has found the presence of antibiotic as well as and metal resistant bacteria in river Ganga. Researchers collected water and sediment samples from five river banks – Assi, Bhadaini, Harishchandra Dr. Rajendra Prasad and Rajghat. The DNA was extracted from these samples and subjected to a high throughput technique to sequence DNA of all bacteria present in the samples.

A comparison of this information with existing sequences of antibiotic and metal resistance genes showed that bacteria resistant to antibiotics like beta-lactam, multidrug/efflux, and elfamycin are highly abundant in the river water. At the same time, bacteria resilient to a range of commonly used antibiotics were also present in water samples.

In the case of metals, bacteria had genes resistant to ions of silver, copper, iron, chromium, arsenic, and zinc. “This study suggests that antibiotics and metals are the driving force for the emergence of resistance genes, and their subsequent propagation and accumulation in the environmental bacteria,” researchers have pointed out.

“Varanasi region receives over 309.8 million liters of treated and untreated domestic waste daily by various point and non-point sources, which may be contributing to the accumulation of resistant genes in the environment,” explained Dr. Suresh Kumar Dubey, professor at Molecular Ecology Laboratory, Centre of Advanced Study in Botany at BHU and author of the study, while speaking to India Science Wire.

The results of this study, he said, will be useful to regulatory agencies like state and central pollution control boards in making a policy change to enforce pollution control regulation to stop further input of antibiotics and toxic metals in the river through a domestic, hospital and industrial wastewater.

The study was done by Dr. Bhaskar Reddy and Dr. S. K Dubey with support from the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Science and Engineering Board (SERB).  The study results have been published in the journal Environmental Pollution. (India Science Wire)

By Dr. Aditi Jain

River Ganges water as reservoir of microbes with antibiotic and metal ion resistance genes: High throughput metagenomic approach

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for the latest Science & Tech news. You can also find us on Twitter & Facebook.

Rate

A comparison of this information with existing sequences of antibiotic and metal resistance genes showed that bacteria resistant to antibiotics like beta-lactam, multidrug/efflux, and elfamycin are highly abundant in the river water. At the same time, bacteria resilient to a range of commonly used antibiotics were also present in water samples.

In the case of metals, bacteria had genes resistant to ions of silver, copper, iron, chromium, arsenic, and zinc. “This study suggests that antibiotics and metals are the driving force for the emergence of resistance genes, and their subsequent propagation and accumulation in the environmental bacteria,” researchers have pointed out.

“Varanasi region receives over 309.8 million liters of treated and untreated domestic waste daily by various point and non-point sources, which may be contributing to the accumulation of resistant genes in the environment,” explained Dr. Suresh Kumar Dubey, professor at Molecular Ecology Laboratory, Centre of Advanced Study in Botany at BHU and author of the study, while speaking to India Science Wire.

The results of this study, he said, will be useful to regulatory agencies like state and central pollution control boards in making a policy change to enforce pollution control regulation to stop further input of antibiotics and toxic metals in the river through a domestic, hospital and industrial wastewater.

The study was done by Dr. Bhaskar Reddy and Dr. S. K Dubey with support from the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Science and Engineering Board (SERB).  The study results have been published in the journal Environmental Pollution. (India Science Wire)

By Dr. Aditi Jain

River Ganges water as reservoir of microbes with antibiotic and metal ion resistance genes: High throughput metagenomic approach

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for the latest Science & Tech news. You can also find us on Twitter & Facebook.

" }
Science Is Not for Children Alone but Is a Way of Life

Science Is Not for Children Alone but Is a Way of Life

Eminent physicist, Sir C.V.Raman was the toast of the day as Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) jointly celebrated the National Science Day to mark the discovery of Raman Effect which won him Nobel Prize and helped place India in the global map of science.

  • News
  • 1.5K
Read more

Quantum Dots Make the Leap from TVs to Antibacterial Eye Drops

Quantum dots are transforming electronic displays on TVs and tablets. But now, one group reports in ACS Nano that these tiny structures may someday provide relief for eye infections resulting from contact lens wear, trauma or some types of surgeries.

  • News
  • 1.4K
Read more
How Ramanujan Became a Fellow of Royal Society On This Day a Century Ago

How Ramanujan Became a Fellow of Royal Society On This Day a Century Ago

Today marks the centenary of Ramanujan’s election as a Fellow of Royal Society, the world’s oldest and most respected scientific society. 

  • News
  • 5.4K
Read more

Internet is huge! Help us find great content

Newsletter

Never miss a thing! Sign up for our newsletter to stay updated.

About

Research Stash is a curated collection of tools and News for S.T.E.M researchers

Have any questions or want to partner with us? Reach us at hello@researchstash.com

Navigation

Submit