Bacteria with resistance genes against common antibiotics are present in almost all German lakes. Even resistance against reserve antibiotics is already widespread in the environment. In Europe, about 33,000 people die each year from infections caused by multi-resistant bacteria that cannot be treated with medication. The number of bacteria with resistance to one or more antibiotics is steadily increasing. Dangerous pathogens that receive their resistance mechanisms from other bacterial species or develop them themselves have already been discovered in many places, including washing machines. Scientists at Philipps-Universität Marburg have now investigated how far the resistant germs have spread in European waters.
Despite the fact that wastewater is usually treated before being discharged into bodies of water, pathogens are still detectable in the discharged wastewater and thus enter lakes and rivers. The distribution of resistant germs in Europe’s lakes has so far only been investigated in a random manner. The study published in the journal Environment International is therefore the first systematic investigation on a large scale. Standardized water samples from 274 lakes in 13 European countries were examined, and genetic traces of resistant bacteria were found in almost all analyzed water samples, including almost all samples from Germany.
The current values should be understood as a clear warning signal in infection control. Although most of the discovered bacteria contain resistance genes, they are harmless to humans. However, the widespread distribution of resistance genes in the environment is much more concerning than the immediate danger of infection while swimming. These genes can be copied by dangerous pathogens practically anywhere.
