Dust in your home can make you antibiotic resistant
A study of Northwestern University (NU) found that
bacteria living in household dust can spread antibiotic resistance genes, and the
researchers believe these genes could potentially spread to pathogens, making
infections more difficult to treat.
Bacteria can share many different types of genes as
long as the genes have mobile segments of DNA. NU researchers were the first to
find that antibiotic resistance genes in dust microbes have mobile capabilities,
the Xinhua news agency reported. “We observed living bacteria have transferable
antibiotic resistance genes,” said Erica Hartmann, an assistant professor of
environmental engineering in NU’s McCormick School of Engineering.
Although it is rare for pathogens to live in indoor
dust, they can hitchhike into homes and mingle with existing bacteria. “A
nonpathogen can use horizontal gene transfer to give antibiotic resistance
genes to a pathogen,” Hartmann explained. “Then the pathogen becomes antibiotic
resistant.”
“Microbes share genes when they get stressed out,”
Hartmann said. “They aren’t equipped to handle the stress, so they share
genetic elements with a microbe that might be better equipped.” Hartmann
recommends dusting with a damp cloth instead of using antimicrobial solutions,
which can make bacteria more resistant to antibiotics.
28.01.2020
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