Scientists from Chile identified strains of a "superpower" bacteria in Antarctica that has the potential to cause the world's next pandemic. They found that the bacteria have antibiotic-resistant genes that make existing treatments useless.
The team of researchers made the discovery by initially studying how climate change could affect the spread of bacteria that has been frozen for thousands of years.
Bacteria Species Hyper-Resistant to Antibiotics
A report from Swords Today shared that the Chilean team of scientists discovered 20 new species of bacteria that are hyper-resistant to antibiotics and may transmit their immunity to other microorganisms that leading to endangering global health.
The team, which is composed of Assistant Professor Andres Marcoleta from the University of Chile, and researchers Makarina Vares and Alexis Gate, conducted two expeditions from 2017 to 2019 into the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands.
They tried to determine how resistant the microorganisms living in frozen ice for thousands of years were using shovels, sterile containers, and other modern equipment. The team collected hundreds of endemic bacteria, of which 20 of them were completely unknown and had hyper resistance characteristics.
Marcoleta said that when they developed 12 samples and exposed the bacteria to various types of antibiotics, they found that none had any effect on the bacteria. They noted that those bacteria have numerous immunomodulatory properties that help them thrive in their environment and resist toxic compounds.
His co-researchers added that many of the bacteria were resistant to existing antibiotics or produced a metabolite that is still under development and also possesses characteristics that are against certain bacteria.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has also declared a global health crisis and created a working group to research alternative therapies.
Pseudomonas Bacteria Vs. Polaromonas Bacteria
According to WION's report, researchers found that the Pseudomonas bacteria is one of the predominant bacteria groups found in the Antarctic Peninsula and could be a source of antibiotic resistance genes. That makes it resistant to common antimicrobial disinfectants, such as copper, chlorine, and quaternary ammonium.
On the other hand, the Polaromonas bacteria have the potential to inactivate beta-lactam-type antibiotics that are used to treat various kinds of infections.
Marcoleta said that their team was able to identify antibiotic resistance and antimicrobial resistance in many bacteria they found in Antarctica. They confirm that the genetic information these bacteria possess points to a possibility of a source of resistance mechanisms that can become pathogenic bacteria.
Climate Change Could Release World-Ending Bacteria
Marcoleta and his team warned in their study, titled "The Highly Diverse Antarctic Peninsula Soil Microbiota as a Source of Novel Resistance Genes," that climate change could unleash world-ending bacteria that have the potential to spread in polar regions.
He emphasized that the strains of bacteria they found have superpowers to evolve and resist extreme conditions. They are also very transmissible.
Antarctica, which is greatly affected by melting ice, hosts a great diversity of bacteria that could be a potential source of ancestral genes resistant to antibiotics.
The team concluded that these genes could possibly leave their reservoir for many years and promote the emergence of infectious diseases.
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