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Soil Bacteria Show High Resistance to Antibiotics

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the armored-bacteria-testing dept.

Miraba writes "Microbiologists have found that soil-dwelling bacteria are highly resistant to antibiotics, even ones that they've never been exposed to before. While this information suggests that superbugs could arise from these bacteria, it also provides the opportunity for testing new techniques in drug development for the future."

6 of 149 comments (clear)

  1. As someone in Microbiology... by CupBeEmpty · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I am not really surprised that soil bacteria are incredibly hardy. Remember that Bacillus anthracis (or Anthrax) is a bacterium that is endemic to soil. It is an incredibly hardy bacterium that can last as a spore in the right conditions for years (literally decades). Bacteria that live in the soil live in a hostile environment, to which they will develop methods of immunity. If a bacteria can live in soil, which is a hostile environment then one might guess that the same bacteria could handle the relatively "easy-to-live-in" human body. It is also interesting to note that many of our antibiotics are derivied from organisms that fight off bacterial infection. These same organims are prevalent in the soil. I am not sure what the big surprise is here?

    1. Re:As someone in Microbiology... by Onuma · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Nature will find a way...

      I'm not surprised in the least. Having studied Forensic science - not quite as detailed as microbiology - I know a little about this subject. Organisms living in soil are exposed to numerous chemicals and other species, it's a wonder that they're not immune to even more antibiotics and disinfectant chemicals.

      Another point: are these same resistant organisms hostile towards humans? They could simply exist without needing us in the least. They could also be beneficial, like the organisms which live inside and outside of our bodies; symbiotes.

      I think what is worse than bacteria becoming resistant to the drugs we use is our haste to use such drugs. People are far too dependent on prescription and over-the-counter medications these days, even if it is known that said medications will not cure or even treat the symptoms. Zithromax is not a proper prescription for the common cold (I have been prescribed this by Army doctors, for exactly this reason). I'm a fan of the placebo - let them think it will work, and chances are it will.

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  2. Crocodile blood antibiotics by ShnowDoggie · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Alligator/Crocodile blood anyone? They live in swampy places, fight even each other, and do not seem to get infections. (Well, not as easily as humans anyway ...) Here is just one link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4155522.stm

  3. Soil != Living Human by pkhuong · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Topic says it all. Different pH, temperature, humidity, ... Bacteria, fungi (etc) that thrive in the ground usually don't like it as much in a hot, warm and nearly neutral human body. We don't have a lot of things that work very well on fungi (heck, most of our antibiotics come from fungi), but they don't represent a large danger, simply because our insides are usually a bit too warm for them. Let's not panic too early.

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  4. Major Oversight: Who will develop the antiobiotic? by reporter · · Score: 3, Interesting
    The article starting this thread seems to imply that these superbugs in the soil might be used as test subjects to check the efficacy of new antibiotics. However, there is a more serious issue: American companies are abandoning the development of new antibiotics.

    There is a touch irony here. The major justification for non-socialized medicine like that in the United States is that private enterprise will provide the economic rewards which will spur innovation in developing new drugs. However, what happens when the capitalistic system does not provide the necessary rewards?

    Such is the case with new antibiotics. Typically, patients take antibiotics for a week and never consume the stuff again until the next infection arises. By contrast, drugs treating chronic conditions like excessive cholesterol are consumed daily and hence provide signficant financial rewards. As a result, American companies have abandoned the development of new antibiotics in favor of drugs treating chronic conditions.

    What is the point of using superbugs in the soil to test the efficacy of new antibiotics when Americans companies are not developing new antibiotics?

    Then again, in the end, we are all dead.

  5. How to explain that? by Jodka · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Could the natural resistance of soil bacteria to antibiotics result from the natural presence of antibiotics in soil?

    Penicillin, the quintessential antibiotic, is derived from mold. Suppose that the molds and bacteria are battling it out in the soil, and the molds attack the bacteria with antibiotics, so then the bacteria evolve resistance to those antibiotics.

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