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Antibiotic-resistant NDM-1 gene found in pristine Arctic
Why in news?
- The recent detection of the antibiotic resistant (AR) gene NDM-1 in the Arctic region is a further indication of the globalization of antimicrobial resistance.
- It was first isolated in New Delhi India.
More in the news
Background:
- NDM-1 was first reported in 2007 in a patient admitted to a hospital in New Delhi.
- First finding of NDM-1 in the environment, rather than a clinic setting, was in surface waters of Delhi, in 2010.
- The results show how far reaching and fast resistance can move around the globe
Findings and predictions:
- According to Clare McCann, principal author of the study, scientists were surprised to find a rather robust presence of NDM-1 in the arctic.
- It was not a shock to find AR in the High Arctic.
- Most antibiotics are produced by soil microorganisms and over time they have evolved to become resistant to the compounds which they excrete to survive.
- AR is a natural phenomenon.
Other findings:
- NDM-1 gene is present in highest concentrations near fresh water sources where wildlife tend to congregate.
- Discovery of levels of mobile genetic elements (MGEs), the mechanism by which bacteria trade AR, to mirror NDM-1.
- MGEs are are often associated with ‘acquired’ resistance and are found at higher levels in human and animal waste.
Source
The Hindu.