A common weedkiller used in millions of Australian homes may be playing an unexpected role in fuelling the global surge of antibiotic-resistant “superbugs,” according to new research, challenging long-held assumptions that antibiotic misuse alone is driving the crisis.
An estimated 1.1 million to 1.4 million deaths are recorded each year globally due to antimicrobial resistance, highlighting its escalating impact on public health.
According to 9News website, the World Health Organization (WHO) in October raised concerns, warning of a rising spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria across hospitals globally.
Over the five years to 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) recorded a rise in antibiotic resistance across more than 40 per cent of the antibiotic-pathogen combinations it monitored.
WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, "Antimicrobial resistance is outpacing advances in modern medicine, threatening the health of families worldwide.”
New research published in Frontiers suggests a common weedkiller may similarly drive bacterial resistance, challenging the long-held view that antibiotic overuse is the primary cause.
According to 9News website, Glyphosate, a widely used ingredient in many weedkillers, is present in around 500 products registered with the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority.
Over the past 40 years, its use has become widespread among both home gardeners and farmers across Australia. As bacteria adapt to withstand the weedkiller, new research suggests this process may also be driving antimicrobial resistance in soil microbes.
All hospital-derived strains, notably, showed high levels of resistance to glyphosate and glyphosate-based weedkillers.
Dr Camila Knecht, a study authors said, "This means that if these bacteria enter the environment through untreated wastewater from hospitals, they could go on to thrive in agricultural areas where glyphosate is used."
Controversy over glyphosate is longstanding, with evidence showing it harms arthropods, especially bees, and its classification as a probable human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
A class action in Australia involving 800 non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients did not conclusively prove a causal link between glyphosate and cancer.
An estimated 1.1 million to 1.4 million deaths are recorded each year globally due to antimicrobial resistance, highlighting its escalating impact on public health.
According to 9News website, the World Health Organization (WHO) in October raised concerns, warning of a rising spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria across hospitals globally.
Over the five years to 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) recorded a rise in antibiotic resistance across more than 40 per cent of the antibiotic-pathogen combinations it monitored.
WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, "Antimicrobial resistance is outpacing advances in modern medicine, threatening the health of families worldwide.”
New research published in Frontiers suggests a common weedkiller may similarly drive bacterial resistance, challenging the long-held view that antibiotic overuse is the primary cause.
According to 9News website, Glyphosate, a widely used ingredient in many weedkillers, is present in around 500 products registered with the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority.
Over the past 40 years, its use has become widespread among both home gardeners and farmers across Australia. As bacteria adapt to withstand the weedkiller, new research suggests this process may also be driving antimicrobial resistance in soil microbes.
All hospital-derived strains, notably, showed high levels of resistance to glyphosate and glyphosate-based weedkillers.
Dr Camila Knecht, a study authors said, "This means that if these bacteria enter the environment through untreated wastewater from hospitals, they could go on to thrive in agricultural areas where glyphosate is used."
Controversy over glyphosate is longstanding, with evidence showing it harms arthropods, especially bees, and its classification as a probable human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
A class action in Australia involving 800 non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients did not conclusively prove a causal link between glyphosate and cancer.
