Bacteria can travel thousands of miles, do you know?

Researchers discovered that bacteria can travel thousands of miles across the globe through an invisible 'air bridge'.

Scientists say the bacteria found in hot springs around the world are completely identical, according to the Daily Mail.

Assumptions about the migration of bacteria , previously thought to occur through humans and animals, may in fact still not be enough, according to new research.

A new study, conducted by Konstantin Severinov, from the Waksman Microbiology Institute, found that bacteria can travel thousands of miles through the air.

The study only investigated the bacteria living in super hot water to eliminate the possibility of bacteria being transmitted through birds or humans.

Bacteria move through an "air bridge".

Bacterial samples were collected at Mount Vesuvius, hot springs on Mount Etna in Italy, hot springs in El Tatio region in northern Chile and Termas del Flaco region of southern Chile, and hot springs in Uzon caldera in Kamchatka , Russia.

Scientists have studied a type of biological signature , called "memory" of bacteria, showing how bacteria interact with viruses.

By studying the order of 'memory', researchers can accurately track how bacteria interact with nearby viruses.

While researchers predict bacteria in different geographical areas in the experiment, there will be different 'memory' , but the results show the opposite.

As a result, the DNA sequences found in bacteria in different hot springs around the world turned out to be completely identical.

Since then scientists have hypothesized that bacteria move through an "air bridge".

They must be transported by air and this movement must be very wide, so bacteria in isolated places, thousands of miles away from each other still have common characteristics.

Birds and other animals have been removed from microbial transporters due to the fact that research only investigates bacteria from extremely hot water.

Because the studied bacteria live in very hot water, temperatures are about 71 degrees Celsius, in remote places, it is not possible that animals, birds or humans can transport them, Severinov said in a statement. .

This study shows that there must be a mechanism across the planet to ensure microbial exchange between distant places, said Konstantin Severinov, the author of the study.

According to scientists, the findings of the study could change the way we understand the spread of diseases and bacteria, affecting important epidemiological studies such as those related to bacteria. antibiotic resistance.

The authors of the study are also calling for additional studies to test the 'air bridge' theory, by sampling bacteria in different parts of the atmosphere with unmanned aerial or airplanes. bridge.