Droughts Create Conditions That Favor Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, Study Warns

A California Institute of Technology study found that drought concentrates antibiotics in soil and is linked to higher levels of antibiotic-producing bacteria and resistance genes.

Lab experiments showed drying antibiotic-treated miniature soils killed sensitive strains while resistant and producer strains survived and became more common.

A global analysis across 116 countries found a strong association between hospital antibiotic-resistance frequency and local aridity, even after adjusting for national income.

The researchers published their findings in Nature Microbiology and say the results connect environmental drought to potential impacts on clinical antibiotic resistance.