ISLAMABAD: Besides treating bacterial infections, some antibiotics may also give rise to harmful new bacteria, research suggests.
“For a long time we have thought that bacteria make antibiotics for the same reasons that we love them – because they kill other bacteria,” said Elizabeth Shank, assistant professor of biology at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
“However, we have also known that antibiotics can sometimes have pesky side-effects, like stimulating biofilm formation,” Shank added.
The researchers have now shown that this side-effect – the production of biofilms – is not a side-effect, after all, suggesting that bacteria may have evolved to produce antibiotics in order to produce biofilms and not only for their killing abilities, said the study appeared in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Biofilms are communities of bacteria that form on surfaces, phenomenon dentists usually refer to as plaque. Biofilms are everywhere. In many cases, biofilms can be beneficial, such as when they protect plant roots from pathogens. But they can also harm, for instance when they form on medical catheters or feeding tubes in patients, causing disease.
A relevant piece published earlier: What researchers from the University of Leicester have found out is certainly alarming for Karachiites! The first of its kind study has revealed that bacteria triggering respiratory infections become antibiotics-resistance due to air pollution. So as to determine this, the panel of connoisseurs analyzed the influences of air contamination on the bacteria existing in human bodies, particularly the respiratory tract (nose, throat and lungs). The key element of air pollution is black carbon, which is being rapidly produced via the burning of fossil fuels like diesel, bio-fuels, and biomass. Elaborating on the study, Dr Shane Hussey and Dr Jo Purves held that all of us are exposed to toxic fumes and we know its harmful impacts. Now it is obligatory to figure out such antidotes that could help in containing these effects. Also, it has been reported that two human pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumonia) are considered the prime causes of respiratory ailments. Besides, they also demonstrate high levels of resistance to antibiotics. One of the investigators Julian Ketley noted that urbanization in big cities with intense levels of air pollution poses life threats all across the globe. Also, the World Health Organization (WHO) delineates atmosphere pollution as the biggest single ecological health jeopardy. According to WHO it is accountable to around 7 million deaths per annum. The study has been reported in the journal Environmental Microbiology. (Published on 3rd March 2017)
