Air pollution may reduce effectiveness of antibiotics
Air pollution may
increase the potential of bacteria that cause respiratory infections to
tolerate antibiotic treatment, suggests new research. “This work increases
our understanding of how air pollution affects human health,” said study lead
author Julie Morrissey, Associate Professor at University of Leicester in
Britain. “It shows that the bacteria which cause respiratory infections are
affected by air pollution, possibly increasing the risk of infection,”
Morrissey said. The study, published in the journal Environmental
Microbiology, looked into how air pollution affects the bacteria
living in our bodies, specifically the respiratory tract — the nose, throat and
lungs. A major component of air pollution is black carbon, which is
produced through the burning of fossil fuels such as diesel, biofuels, and
biomass. The research showed that this pollutant changes the way in which
bacteria grow and form communities, which could affect how they survive on the
lining of our respiratory tracts and how well they are able to hide from, and
combat, our immune systems.
The research focused on two human pathogens,
Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae, which are both major causes
of respiratory diseases and exhibit high levels of resistance to
antibiotics. The research team found that black carbon alters the
antibiotic tolerance of Staphylococcus aureus communities and importantly
increases the resistance of communities of Streptococcus pneumoniae to
penicillin, the front line treatment of bacterial pneumonia. Furthermore,
it was found that black carbon caused Streptococcus pneumoniae to spread from
the nose to the lower respiratory tract, which is a key step in development of
disease.
08.03.2017
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