A Warming Climate May Produce More Drug-Resistant Infections

Scientific American ------ A person’s chances of acquiring a drug-resistant infection may be higher if she lives in a warmer area.A study appearing today in Nature Climate Change from researchers at the University of Toronto (U.T.) and Children’s Hospital Boston links the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria to a hotter climate. Researchers found a 10-degree Celsius increase in daily minimum temperature was associated with a small increase in resistance in common pathogens, including those that develop into methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the root of many persistent and sometimes deadly hospital infections. “This is a very important and timely study stemming from meticulously collected and arranged records of antibiotic resistance,” says Elena Naumova, an epidemiologist at Tufts University who was not involved in the work. “What’s great about this study is that they really broaden the concept of antibiotic-resistance patterns.” To learn more click on the picture below to read the article.