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Every year, antimicrobial resistance is believed to cause between 1.1 million and 1.4 million deaths across the globe. This alarming statistic underscores a growing health crisis that demands urgent attention.
In a recent study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO), it was revealed that antibiotic resistance has increased in over 40 percent of the antibiotic-pathogen combinations they have been tracking over the past five years, up to 2023. This trend highlights a troubling rise in resistance levels, posing a significant threat to global health systems.
Commenting on these critical findings, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed grave concern. “Antimicrobial resistance is outpacing advances in modern medicine, threatening the health of families worldwide,” he stated, emphasizing the urgent need for action to combat this escalating challenge.
Adding another layer to this complex issue is the widespread use of glyphosate, a common ingredient in numerous weedkillers. In Australia, the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) has registered approximately 500 products containing glyphosate. Over the last 40 years, its application has become prevalent among both home gardeners and farmers, raising concerns about its potential impact on resistance patterns.
Its use by both home gardeners and Australian farmers has become ubiquitous over the past 40 years.
Now, new research suggests it is driving antimicrobial resistance in soil bacteria as a side-effect of developing resistance to the weedkiller itself.
A team of microbiologists in Argentina collected 68 bacterial strains from soil collected near Buenos Aires, near farmland where glyphosate is commonly used, with strains found in local hospitals.
The strains were each found to be resistant to between one and 16 of the antibiotics tested.
Crucially, all hospital strains were also found to be highly resistant to glyphosate and glyphosate-based weedkillers.
“This means that if these bacteria enter the environment through untreated wastewater from hospitals, they could go on to thrive in agricultural areas where glyphosate is used,” said one of the study authors, Dr Camila Knecht.
It’s not the first time the impacts of glyphosate have sparked controversy.
It is known to harm arthropods, in particular bees, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified it as a probable human carcinogen.
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