News Briefs: Pharmaceutical 'Cocktails' in Waterways May Promote Antibiotic Resistance​

New research has demonstrated that common non-antibiotic medications found in waterways can increase the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria when mixed with antibiotics. While antibiotic concentrations can cause bacteria to evolve resistance, scientists from the University of Exeter investigated the effect of common drug mixtures. The research team exposed wastewater bacteria to low, environmentally realistic concentrations of the common antibiotic ciprofloxacin combined with other non-antibiotic drugs including pain relief, diabetes medication and hormone replacement treatments. Although these non-antibiotic drugs did not increase bacterial resistance on their own, when mixed with ciprofloxacin, the bacteria were more likely to develop specific antibiotic resistance genes.Nighttime Thief Steals 21 Manhole Covers