Found antibiotic resistance genes in clouds

While antibiotic-resistant bacteria are on the rise globally, researchers from Canada and France found them in a remarkable place: clouds in the sky .

According to New Atlas, researchers from Laval University in Quebec (Canada) and Clermont Auvergne University (France) began investigating clouds floating around an inactive volcano in the Massif Central region (France). ).

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria appear everywhere, even in the clouds - (Photo: NEW ATLAS)

Working at a weather station located at an altitude of 1,465m atop Puy de Dôme, the team conducted 12 cloud sampling sessions over the course of 2 years.

They found the clouds contained about 8,000 bacteria per milliliter of water, and an average of 20,800 copies of antibiotic resistance genes in the same volume.

In particular, clouds flying over the ocean have different types of antibiotic resistance genes than clouds flying over land.

Although the atmosphere has long been understood to be a transit point for bacteria , researchers were surprised to find similar levels of bacteria in clouds as on the ground.

These bacteria usually live on plant surfaces or soil. They are aerosolized by wind or human activities, and some of them rise into the atmosphere and participate in the formation of clouds.

According to the study authors, the high concentration of antibiotic resistance genes in high clouds may be due to the use of antibiotics in livestock farming. Especially raising cows and sheep in large numbers, these animals often burp after eating, causing methane gas emissions that cause the greenhouse effect.

'Our study shows that clouds are an important route for antibiotic resistance genes to spread,' said study author Florent Rossi of Laval University.

The research was published in the journal Science of The Total Environment .

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria kill millions of people every year

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), antibiotic-resistant bacteria and fungi kill at least 1.27 million people worldwide each year.

Fighting these superbugs is becoming increasingly difficult, although researchers are looking at a number of new methods including using gold, self-assembling "nanonet" and changing the design of drugs antibiotic.