Climate Change Accelerates Antibiotic-Resistant Salmonella Growth, Study Finds
A recent study published in The Lancet Planetary Health reveals that climate change is contributing to a 10% global increase in antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) in Salmonella. Researchers from institutions including the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of Cambridge analyzed over 480,000 Salmonella genomes from 139 countries, finding significant associations between temperature, precipitation, and ARG increases. The study highlights that climate conditions, such as higher temperatures and extreme weather events, can accelerate bacterial growth and gene exchange, thereby amplifying antimicrobial resistance (AMR) transmission. The abundance of ARGs in Salmonella has risen by 38% since 1940, with climate change accounting for a significant portion of this increase.