Caltech study finds droughts may increase antibiotic resistance in soil
A new study from Caltech suggests that droughts might be helping antibiotic-resistant bacteria spread.
When soil dries out, it can concentrate natural antibiotics already present in the soil, which pushes bacteria to adapt and become tougher.
Researchers looked at soil samples from the US China, and Europe, and found more resistance genes in drier spots.
Drier regions show higher hospital resistance
The research also noticed that in dry conditions, resistant bacteria survive while sensitive strains almost entirely die off.
Globally, places with drier climates had higher hospital antibiotic resistance — even after considering differences in wealth.
While it's not clear if drought directly causes this problem yet, the study highlights how climate change could make fighting infections even harder.