Washington, Sep 30 (IANS) Villages along the roads had greater presence of resistant strains of E. coli bug than rural clusters away from roads, says a new study.
The study shows for the first time how roads are instrumental in spreading resistant superbugs, said Joe Eisenberg, study co-author and professor at the University of Michigan School of Public Health.
The symptoms of E. coli infection include low fever, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and bloody diarrhoea. It can cause additional complications in children and the elderly.
Michigan researchers with colleagues from Universidad San Francisco de Quito, and Trinity College focused on resistant E. coli and common antibiotic paring of ampicillin and sulfamethoxazole, the Journal of the Royal Society, Interface reports.
‘Our results show it’s not just the individual’s antibiotic use that affects antibiotic resistance,’ Eisenberg said, according to a university statement.
‘Other important factors that affect the spread of antibiotic resistance are the rates at which people introduce new strains due to movement in and out of the region, as well as poor water quality and sanitation.’
Both these factors are influenced by the presence of roads.
