Wild birds living near urban environments may likely carry antibiotic-resistant bacteria and pass that on to humans.
As the Guardian reported, researchers found that wild, urban birds carry many more strains of bacteria that can't be treated with modern pharmaceuticals.
What's happening?
Research shows that over one-quarter of global deaths associated with antimicrobial resistance were caused by the type of resistance found in birds.
Researchers assessed that since wild birds often travel long distances, they can pass antimicrobial-resistant bacteria to poultry living on farms, which humans later consume. To come to this conclusion, they studied 700 samples of bird feces from 30 species of wild birds in multiple countries.
"While alarming, the risk of direct transmission of resistance from urban birds to humans is unclear. Poultry-to-human transmission, however, is well documented," said Dr. Danna Gifford, from the University of Manchester and an author of the study. "With urban development encroaching on agricultural land, increasing contact between urban birds and poultry raises significant concerns about indirect transmission through the food chain."
Why is antimicrobial-resistant bacteria important?
This issue is important because antibiotics have been relied on for over 100 years but are now less effective because of overuse among humans and livestock.
The bacteria studied explicitly by the researchers is a leading cause of human gastroenteritis.
Birds living in urban settings have many more strains of this bacteria than those living away from humans, and those strains are three times as likely to have antimicrobial resistance. Birds may pick up this bacteria at landfill sites and bodies of water contaminated with human waste.
Dr. Thomas Van Boeckel, an ETH Zürich antimicrobial resistance expert, said, "What are the consequences of that for the birds? We don't really know, but it seems like we humans are responsible for this change."
What's being done about antimicrobial resistance?
The researchers involved in this work recommended more studies to confirm the bacterial connection between birds and humans but also advised that we can start taking precautions now to combat this issue.
First, urban birds should be deterred from landfills and wastewater treatment plants. We must also ensure that untreated human sewage is not released into rivers and lakes to prevent exposing wildlife and humans to bacteria that current antibiotic medications can't fight.
Individuals can discuss antibiotic treatments with their doctors to ensure that they only take these medications when absolutely necessary and for the specific infections they are designed to treat.
Studies show that rising temperatures, air pollution, and microplastics contribute to antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, sustainable lifestyle choices like using public transportation and eating less meat can help us fight against the rise of antimicrobial resistance passed through our food systems.
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