Antibiotic Resistance in the Arctic

We are now finding the effects of excessive antibiotic use even in the Antarctic. Researchers have detected hundreds of different resistance genes in the soil in Antarctica. This gene confers resistance to antibiotics on bacteria. Even the super-gene blaNDM-1, which was detected in India a few years ago, was found. This demonstrates how quickly resistance is spreading worldwide.

Antibiotics are becoming ineffective as multi-resistant pathogens that are immune to several classes of antibiotics develop worldwide. These multi-resistant pathogens are now found not only in humans and animals but also in soil and water.

The multi-resistant „superbug“ NDM-1 strain is particularly dangerous.
This strain was discovered in India a few years ago and is immune to all common classes of antibiotics and emergency antibiotics of the carbapenem group. This resistance is caused by the blaNDM-1 gene.

A research group led by David Graham from Newcastle University analyzed 40 soil samples taken in 2013 along the Kongsfjorden in northwestern Spitsbergen. Multi-resistant pathogens are now found even in this pristine ecosystem on Earth.
131 different resistance genes were identified. . “These genes provide protection against nine different classes of antibiotics, including aminoglycosides, macrolides, and beta-lactams, which are used to treat many infections,” Graham reports.
The super-gene blaNDM-1 was also found.

This demonstrates that antibiotic resistance genes have now spread to even the most remote corners of the Earth. This shows how quickly and extensively antibiotic resistance has spread by now.

The researchers suspect that the resistance genes were mainly introduced to Spitsbergen by birds. (Environment International, 2019)

Source: Newcastle University