A recent study has revealed alarming findings about antibiotic resistant bacteria in Canterbury cockles and watercress. Scientists from the University of Canterbury, led by Dr. Emma Beake, collected samples of the two species from two rivers in the Canterbury Region of New Zealand in order to test for the presence of bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics. The results were shocking: 44% of the Canterbury cockles tested positive for antibiotic resistance, while a staggering 73% of the watercress samples tested positive. These findings demonstrate a worrying trend of antibiotic resistance in the natural environment. The implications of this are far-reaching, as antibiotic resistance could lead to an increase in drug-resistant infections in humans. Dr. Beake and her team are working to better understand how antibiotic resistance is spreading and how best to prevent it.

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source: Phys.org