Study: Military Conflicts Accelerate Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria
Estonian and Ukrainian scientists found that warfare significantly speeds up the development and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, with global health implications.
A review study by researchers from the Estonian University of Life Sciences and Ukrainian colleagues reveals that armed conflicts drastically accelerate the emergence and spread of bacteria resistant to antibiotics. The team analyzed around 150 scientific papers examining the impact of military actions on human, animal, and environmental health. The findings were published in the German Journal of Microbiology.
The study identified several unexpected contributors to drug resistance in combat zones. Heavy metals such as lead and mercury, which enter soil and water from explosives and destroyed infrastructure, make microbes in these areas insensitive to medications.
Furthermore, the consequences extend far beyond the battlefield. In Poland, the number of difficult-to-treat tuberculosis cases doubled within just one year after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The spread of diseases is driven by a combination of biological and social factors: toxic heavy metals force bacteria to employ additional defense mechanisms, which as a side effect also makes them resistant to antibiotics.
Conversely, shock waves and high temperatures from ammunition explosions damage bacterial genetic material, prompting them to repair their genes and exchange them with other microorganisms, thereby accelerating the emergence of mutations. Interrupted treatment courses due to war, along with poor-quality drugs often sold on the black market, give pathogens an ideal opportunity to adapt to existing medications. Ultimately, resistance originating in conflict zones spreads through people, animals, and waterways far beyond the conflict area.
