WATER INDUSTRY NEWS
Researchers discover new method to fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria
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Tuesday, November 23, 2010
MINNEAPOLIS — Civil engineering researchers at the University of Minnesota recently discovered that treating municipal wastewater solids at higher temperatures may help reduce antibiotic-resistant bacteria, according to a press release.
The researchers found that heating solid waste to 130 F was particularly effective in eliminating the genes that confer antibiotic resistance.
These genes are used by bacteria to become resistant to multiple antibiotics, which are then known as “superbacteria” or “superbugs,” the release stated.
The ever-increasing presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has raised substantial concern about the future effectiveness of antibiotics, according to the release.
“The current scientific paradigm is that antibiotic resistance is primarily caused by antibiotic use, which has led to initiatives to restrict antibiotic prescriptions and curtail antibiotic use in agriculture,” said civil engineering associate professor and leader of the study Timothy LaPara. “Our research is one of the first studies that considers a different approach to thwarting the spread of antibiotic resistance by looking at the treatment of municipal wastewater solids.”
The research paper was recently published in the American Chemical Society’s journal Environmental Science & Technology.
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