An international team of researchers are collaborating to investigate how climate change is driving antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Nigeria. Supported by a grant of £200,000 from the Medical Research Foundation, the researchers from the Ineos Oxford Institute (IOI) and the Nigerian Defence Academy will test bacteriophage-based disinfectants as a sustainable way to reduce the spread of resistant bacteria in warmer climates.
AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to traditional treatments, increasing the spread of infections. Often described as a “silent pandemic”, it is widely accepted that AMR is driven by the misuse and overuse of antibiotics in humans, animals and agriculture, as well as by poor infection control and limited access to quality medicines.
In 2021 alone, AMR directly caused 1.14 million deaths worldwide, and resistant infections could cause an estimated $3 trillion in global GDP losses per year by 2030.
Climate change is also strongly linked to the spread of AMR. “Climate change and antimicrobial resistance are two of the most urgent public health crises across the globe, and they’re intrinsically linked. Rising temperatures and extreme weather events can contribute to higher infection rates and increase the spread of antimicrobial resistant bacteria. The countries most vulnerable to climate change will likely feel the greatest effects of AMR,” said Dr Kirsty Sands IOI scientific lead and co-lead on the project.
While AMR is a global problem, low-and-middle income countries (LMICs) are likely to face a greater AMR burden.
Ongoing research in Nigeria has found that some of the largest AMR bacterial “reservoirs” are in or near poultry farms, waste management sites, or on hospital surfaces. The researchers say that the bacteria can spread from these sites to humans via wastewater, during floods, or possibly through contact with insect pests.
Dr Seniyat Afegbua, associate professor at the Nigerian Defence Academy and co-lead on the project, added: “Overuse of antibiotics to manage these bacterial reservoirs may lead to AMR developing over time, so it’s vital to find alternative measures of biocontrol like bacteriophages.”
After identifying the most significant sources of resistant bacteria, disinfectant comprised of a cocktail of bacteriophage will be applied. Bacteriophage are made up of viruses that target and destroy specific bacterial strains, unlike antibiotics, which can kill both harmful and beneficial bacteria. The effectiveness of the bacteriophage will be assed to see if they offer a sustainable alternative to antibiotics, the researchers said.
Hospital surfaces and poultry farms will also be swabbed in wet and dry seasons to track bacterial levels over time. Researchers will then assess correlations between the AMR genes present and climate, and model scenarios using collected data on temperature, humidity and rainfall. By combining the microbiology, genomic and climate data collected, the team will model how AMR is impacted by climate change, as well as understanding how bacteriophage cocktails can reduce environmental AMR in LMIC settings.
Further reading:
- What is AMR? Here’s what you need to know about antimicrobial resistance
- Supercomputers vs superbugs: GSK and Fleming Initiative target AMR
- AMR: Researchers map antibiotic resistance in livestock waste
- Antimicrobial resistance: How microplastics can increase the spread of AMR
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