Sewers Chinese are feeding bacteria that no antibiotic can kill

Over the past few years, antibiotics have saved hundreds of millions of lives and prolonged billions of others. But, paradoxical as it may seem, by the increase in administration of antibiotics the bacteria are becoming more resilient, which may represent potential lethal consequences, both for humans and for animals.

Although some "super-bactérias" â€" as are known bacteria resistant to antibiotics â€" can be neutralized with special antibiotics there is the fear that others cannot.

An example of this resistance is the New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase (NDM-1), an enzyme discovered in 2010 in India which causes bacteria such as Escherichia coli and salmonella to proliferate immune to antibiotics.

A recent study reveals that the sewage treatment plants in northern China are failing to kill bacteria containing NDM-1 and that are, in fact, makes them stronger.

"We see the waste treatment plants as a place of protection, to get rid of all these disease-causing used waters," says one of the study authors, Pedro Alvarez, Rice University, quoted by Quartz. "It turns out, however, that these microbes are eating their waste and to proliferate. Sewage treatment station out between four to five of these super-bactérias for every one who entered ".

In addition to the feed, treatment stations are helping bacteria to run rampant since the effluents that contain these bacteria are reintroduced into the environment. The study found an even greater concentration of these bacteria in residual sludge used as fertilizer.

Previous investigations revealed that bacteria containing the NDM-1 have been quite ineffective in transferring the enzyme for other bacteria. However, Pedro Alvarez and other researchers discovered that bacteria carriers of this enzyme can spread it to ' healthy ' bacteria-which means the NDM-1 can spread antibiotic resistance out of the sewage treatment stations.

"It's scary. There's no antibiotics that can kill, "says Alvarez. "We learned of its existence Only recently, when a Swede got infected in New Delhi, in India. Now, people are starting to realize that more and more tourists who try to climb the River Ganges are getting infected and cannot receive effective treatment, "reveals.

This is another study that highlights the importance of Governments or hospitals to reduce the administration of antibiotics for humans but also animals.

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