Study Links Glyphosate to 74% Carbapenem-Resistant Hospital Bacteria
Updated
Updated · SciTechDaily · May 14
Study Links Glyphosate to 74% Carbapenem-Resistant Hospital Bacteria
3 articles · Updated · SciTechDaily · May 14
A 102-strain study found hospital superbugs and environmental bacteria could withstand glyphosate, suggesting the weedkiller may help select for antibiotic-resistant microbes beyond direct antibiotic exposure.
All 19 hospital strains resisted glyphosate-based herbicides, and about 74% were resistant to carbapenems, a last-resort antibiotic class, linking strong weedkiller tolerance with multidrug resistance.
Researchers compared 68 strains from the Paraná Delta, 19 from hospitals and 15 from feedlots and farm soils; the most glyphosate-resistant lineages appeared across all three settings.
Enterobacter tolerated glyphosate concentrations up to 80 mg/mL, while Bacillus growth was inhibited at 2.5 mg/mL, showing resistance varied sharply by genus.
The authors said untreated wastewater and the water cycle could move resistant bacteria between hospitals and farmland, and urged pesticide approval rules to include antibiotic co-selection testing.
If hospital superbugs and farm bacteria share resistance genes, how fast could AMR threats move from fields to clinics—and can we stop it?
Could the widespread use of glyphosate be driving the silent global spread of antibiotic resistance through our food and water supplies?
From Fields to Hospitals: Glyphosate’s Role in the Global Surge of Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria
Overview
A new study highlights a worrying link between glyphosate, a common herbicide, and the rise of multidrug-resistant bacteria in hospitals. Researchers found that environmental exposure to glyphosate can foster resistance in various bacteria, including those responsible for hard-to-treat hospital infections. In the Paraná Delta, 15 bacterial genera showed some level of glyphosate resistance, with Enterobacter strains being especially tolerant, while common soil bacteria like Bacillus were highly sensitive. This suggests that herbicide use in the environment can help resistant bacteria thrive and may contribute to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance in clinical settings.