Senior homes are a breeding ground for antibiotic-resistant bacteria Stool samples revealed hundreds of unique antibiotic resistance genes acting against 38 different classes of antibiotics Overuse of doxycycline appeared the biggest contributor to antibiotic resistance FRIDAY, Aug. 30, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Senior residential homes are breeding grounds for antibiotic-resistant bacteria, due to overprescription of antibiotics, a new study says. Stool samples provided by Australian senior home residents contained bacteria with a wide range of genes linked to , researchers report in the .
“Commonly used tablet antibiotics in the elderly increase many types of resistance bacteria carried in the gut and these so called ‘superbugs’ can increase resistance to other important life-saving antibiotic drugs,” lead researcher , a doctoral student at Flinders University in Australia, said in a news release. “High rates of antibiotic prescriptions in aged care settings are likely to be contributing to the proliferation of these bugs,” she added. The World Health Organization considers antibiotic resistance one of the biggest threats to global health, researchers noted.
A growing number of infections – pneumonia, tuberculosis, gonorrhea, salmonella – are becoming harder to treat because antibiotics are less and less effective against them. For the study, researchers analyzed stool samples from 164 people living at one of five long-term senior care facilities in South Aus.