Argentine Study Links 102 Bacterial Strains to Glyphosate Resistance and Hospital Superbugs
Updated
Updated · Earth.com · May 23
Argentine Study Links 102 Bacterial Strains to Glyphosate Resistance and Hospital Superbugs
2 articles · Updated · Earth.com · May 23
Researchers compared 102 bacterial strains and found a direct genetic link between glyphosate tolerance and antibiotic resistance in hospital pathogens, including close matches between wetland Enterobacter and ICU-linked superbugs.
At a protected Paraná delta wetland never sprayed with herbicides, all 68 sampled strains still showed glyphosate tolerance, suggesting runoff from heavily treated soybean farmland had already selected for resistant bacteria.
Hospital isolates were similarly hard to kill: every strain survived high glyphosate doses, and nearly three-quarters resisted carbapenems, a last-line antibiotic class.
DNA analysis pointed to toxin-efflux pumps and glyphosate-breakdown genes—not just the herbicide's target enzyme—as the shared mechanism, helping explain cross-resistance to both weedkiller and antibiotics.
The study, published in Frontiers in Microbiology, argues pesticide reviews and hospital sewage treatment should be part of antimicrobial-resistance policy because water systems can shuttle resistant bacteria between farms and clinics.
With herbicides linked to superbugs, will regulators now test pesticides for their impact on antibiotic resistance?
Our weedkillers are training superbugs. What other common chemicals might be fueling this global health crisis?
Glyphosate Drives Surge in Antibiotic-Resistant Superbugs: 2026 Study Reveals Urgent Public Health Threat
Overview
New research reveals a strong link between the widespread use of glyphosate in agriculture and the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, known as superbugs. Glyphosate acts as a selective filter in microbial communities, creating pressure that favors bacteria with special defense mechanisms, such as multidrug efflux pumps and changes in membrane permeability. These adaptations help bacteria survive in glyphosate-rich environments and, as a side effect, make them more resistant to antibiotics. This process not only changes the structure of microbial populations but also increases the risk of hard-to-treat infections, raising serious concerns for public health and food safety.