Antibiotic Resistance 2

Antibiotic Resistance 2

David Sparks Ph.D.
David Sparks Ph.D.
Yesterday we learned of the growing threat of antibiotic resistance and heard from University of Minnesota researcher Tim LaPara that we need other solutions beyond simply reducing antibiotic use. Dr. LaPara and his students have turned to investigating the environment, searching for antimicrobial-resistant genes in materials like human and animal waste. There, the bacteria compound the problem. "The environment plays a vital role in the spread of anti-microbial resistance. If you think about it, organisms that make us sick can’t magically go from human to human. There has to be some sort of conduit by which they spread. Bacteria have the ability to evolve exceptionally quickly. We can do it in the laboratory within a few days and actually observe them change and become resistant to antibiotics.

 

LaPara’s research focuses on how to improve municipal wastewater treatment practices, as well as the treatment of animal manure. He suggests wastewater centers adopt a type of high-temperature or incineration system to more effectively kill bacteria. In places like feed yards or dairies, LaPara says composting or spreading less manure over more land can help stem the resistance problem, where everyone plays a role. “There are a lot of potential driving forces for bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics. Certainly there is human medical use of antibiotics. There are also a lot of antibacterial compounds that we use in everyday life such as in hand sanitizers, hand soap, even toothpaste. In all of those cases, we are imposing a selective pressure on bacteria. The ones that we don’t kill survive and they have the ability to evolve and become resistant to anti-microbials.”

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