Researchers Warn Plants May Be Transmitting Superbugs to Humans

(Newswire.net — September 29, 2022) Orlando, FL — Scientists are increasingly carrying out studies to look into the dangerous consequences of the increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance. It is worth being warned that this is considered to be a major global health issue today. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that of the 2 million antibiotic-resistant infections every year in the U.S., 20 percent are associated with agriculture. 

This estimate is actually based on patients who acquire antibiotic-resistant superbugs from eating meat directly. 

A study has revealed that plants may be transmitting superbugs to humans. In this research, the investigators were able to shed light on how plant foods act as vehicles for transmitting antibiotic resistance to the gut microbiome. 

The research was presented at ASM Microbe, the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology.

“Our findings highlight the importance of tackling food-borne antibiotic resistance from a complete food chain perspective that includes plant foods in addition to meat,” said Marlène Maeusli, Ph.D.

Maeusli is a candidate at Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, who is the lead author of the study.

It is worth noting that the spread of antibiotic-resistant superbugs from plants to humans is actually different from outbreaks of diarrheal ailments that immediately result from the consumption of contaminated vegetables.

“We found differences in the ability of bacteria to silently colonize the gut after ingestion, depending on a variety of host and bacterial factors,” said Maeusli. 

“We mimicked antibiotic and antacid treatments, as both could affect the ability of superbugs to survive the passage from the stomach to the intestines.”

Experts say that superbugs actually have the ability to asymptomatically lurk or colonize in the intestines for months or even years. Once they escape the intestine, they start causing an infection like urinary tract infection.

When it comes to battling antibiotic resistance, there are actually many remedies found by scientists to be helpful. 

One of the effective ways to lessen the rates of antibiotic resistance is to increase protection against urinary tract infections, which are treated with antibiotics. Health experts warn that antibiotic overuse or misuse fuels the skyrocketing demand and use of the medication. 

Today, there are many who turn to the use of remedies like D-mannose. This therapeutic sugar can be found in cranberry and is widely used as a preventive remedy and treatment to infection. Divine Bounty D-mannose could be an excellent choice for individuals who want to benefit from the healing goodness of this remedy. (http://www.amazon.com/D-Mannose-600mg-Cranberry-Dandelion-Extract/dp/B01LX5KGF0)