Air pollution can change the way respiratory infection-causing bacteria behave, thereby affecting the efficacy of antibiotics, according to a study published in Environmental Microbiology.
The research team focused on two human pathogens that cause respiratory illness and show high levels of antibiotic resistance, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Black carbon, a component of air pollution, affects the way bacteria grows and forms communities.
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In this case, researchers found that black carbon changes the antibiotic tolerance of Staphylococcus aureus communities. It also increases the resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae communities to penicillin, a key drug for bacterial pneumonia treatment.
Additionally, black carbon caused Streptococcus pneumoniae to spread from the nose to the lower respiratory tract.