Antibiotic resistance genes found in clouds

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are everywhere, even in the clouds - Photo: NEW ATLAS

According to New Atlas, researchers from Laval University in Quebec (Canada) and Clermont Auvergne University (France) began investigating clouds floating around a dormant volcano in the Massif Central region (France).

Working at a weather station located at an altitude of 1,465 m on the Puy de Dôme, the team conducted 12 cloud sampling sessions over two years.

They found that the clouds contained about 8,000 bacteria per milliliter of water, and an average of 20,800 copies of antibiotic resistance genes in the same volume.

Among them, clouds that flew over the ocean had different antibiotic resistance genes than clouds that flew only over land.

Although the atmosphere has long been understood to be a transit point for bacteria, researchers were surprised to find similar levels of bacteria in clouds as on the ground.

These bacteria usually live on plant or soil surfaces. They are aerosolized by wind or human activities, and some of them rise into the atmosphere and participate in the formation of clouds.

According to the study authors, the high concentration of antibiotic resistance genes in high-altitude clouds may be due to the use of antibiotics in livestock. Especially in large-scale cattle and sheep farming, these animals often burp after eating, causing methane emissions, a greenhouse gas.

“Our study shows that clouds are an important pathway for antibiotic resistance genes to spread,” said study author Florent Rossi of Laval University.

The research was published in the journal Science of The Total Environment.

According to Tuoi Tre