Comment: Antibiotic resistant 鈥榮uperbug鈥� genes found in the Arctic Published on: 29 January 2019 Writing for The Conversation, Professor David Graham discusses the rapid spread of antibiotic resistance and the threat it poses. Svalbard archipelago, Norway. , Antibiotic resistance in bacteria is spreading rapidly worldwide and has even been called a global threat to humans . Excessive and imprudent use of antibiotics is usually blamed, but the rate and extent of the spread can鈥檛 be explained by overuse alone. Antibiotic resistance has now been found in remote parts of the world where humans and antibiotics are scarce or absent. Recently we published a study in that reported antibiotic resistant genes in Svalbard in the High Arctic. , but continued human exposure to antibiotics has selected for progressively stronger bacteria. These bacteria often acquire antibiotic resistance genes that allow them to make powerful defence proteins. As more antibiotics are used new forms of resistance evolve, including multiple drug resistance in pathogens, . Sampling locations for soil bacteria in Svalbard, Norway. David Graham, Author provided For our research, we extracted bacterial DNA from 40 soil cores at eight locations along Kongsfjorden on the west coast of Spitsbergen on the Arctic Ocean, 300km from the North Pole. This location is fairly unusual in the Arctic for its vibrant wildlife populations and neighbouring fjord which does not freeze. We screened the Arctic soil DNA and quantified 131 antibiotic resistance genes associated with nine major antibiotic classes. These include aminoglycosides, carbapenem, macrolides and 尾-lactams 鈥� many of which are used to treat human and veterinary infections. Some of the detected genes, some of which are almost certainly not 鈥渓ocal鈥� to the Arctic, can confer resistance to multiple drugs. These 鈥渇oreign鈥� genes were found in highest concentrations near fresh water sources 鈥� areas where wildlife tend to congregate. One antibiotic resistance gene we found is called 鈥渂laNDM-1鈥�. This gene confers resistance in bacteria to carbapenem antibiotics, one of our to infectious disease. We found this gene in soils near a small Arctic lake in 2013, but it was first detected in a hospital patient in India in 2007, and was later . Although not explicitly from India, BlaNDM-1 was first identified on one side of the world and migrated to the other in less than three years, ending up in a place where few humans reside and where antibiotics are scarce. How did it get there? Bacteria with 鈥榝oreign鈥� antibiotic resistant genes were most abundant near fresh water. David Graham, Author provided A migrating resistance Places with inadequate sanitation often have in the surrounding water and soil. Local overpopulation, poorly controlled antibiotic use and incomplete wastewater treatment means in these places. Local water and food supplies become contaminated with faecal matter, providing a pathway for resistance genes and their bacterial hosts to be ingested by humans and wildlife 鈥� hitching a ride from one region of the world to another. It鈥檚 unclear whether it鈥檚 a single migration via a bird or a human, or a chain reaction of exposures. By whatever pathway, resistance genes are moving fast and to places where antibiotics are not present. As antibiotic resistance migrates, it also changes as it passes through animals and the wider environment. This complicates tracing these genes from their origins to where they end up. In the case of blaNDM-1, it was initially detected as a single gene in a few places, but there are now numerous variants which have been , now including the Arctic. If resistance genes migrate via humans or wildlife to other locations, especially places with inadequate local sanitation, such genes and bacterial hosts might be selected in subsequent human and wildlife populations. This is what we think is happening worldwide. These genes move around the world with people and other animals, seeding new places with resistance potential. Overuse of antibiotics drives resistance in bacteria, but addressing this alone will not be enough. Reducing antibiotic use is critical to tackling bacterial resistance. In the UK, this is outlined in the announced by the health secretary, Matt Hancock. However, reducing local antibiotic use may have a limited effect on global resistance unless . Improving sanitation and water quality worldwide must be part of the fight against antibiotic resistance. There is one positive note from our High Arctic study, however. Although we detected genes like blaNDM-1, we also found other interesting and unexpected antibiotic resistance genes. We found one gene that codes for multiple drug resistance in Tuberculosis bacteria in almost all of our soil cores. This gene was not explicitly related to faecal matter, which means it is almost certainly natural to this remote environment. Read more: This might sound like bad news, but it tells us where this specific resistance gene might have originated, and understanding more about this gene could help us combat resistant tuberculosis in future. This also suggests that information from remote soils, like those in Svalbard, might provide a valuable source of . That said, focusing efforts on developing new arsenals of antibiotic drugs may not be enough. It additionally would be wise for wealthier countries to help poorer ones improve water quality and sanitation, even if it is only providing toilets to reduce open defecation. Smarter use of antibiotics in agriculture and medicine is a necessary step for tackling resistance, but only a comprehensive approach will reduce the evolution and spread of antibiotic resistance. , Professor of Ecosystems Engineering, This article is republished from under a Creative Commons license. Read the . Share: Latest News 缅北禁地 recognised with geography award 缅北禁地 has been awarded the Highly Commended Geographical Association Publishers Award for its collaboration with Time for Geography, the UK鈥檚 open-access, dedicated video platform. published on: 16 April 2026 缅北禁地 historians mark General Strike centenary To mark the 100th anniversary of the British General Strike and miners鈥� lock-out of 1926, historians at 缅北禁地 are organising a series of events on its enduring legacy. published on: 16 April 2026 Comment: NCP is in administration Writing for The Conversation, Erwei (David) Xiang discusses how some big companies like NCP are so dependent on debt that they can鈥檛 adjust to change. published on: 16 April 2026 Facts and figures
![缅北禁地 logo](/gomobileassets/img/logo.svg" "缅北禁地"){kind=logo}