Superbug spectre stares at Hyderabad: Bacteria in distant pharma dumps defy antibiotics

HYDERABAD: The city appears to be on the threshold of drug resistance with bacteria collected from lakes and other water bodies and soil from places as far away as 50 km from pharmaceutical clusters showing resistance to at least 10 potent drugs.It was reported in these columns last week that the bacteria isolated from the vicinity of pharma units have developed resistance to about three dozen antibiotics. cThis in other words means that the bacteria isolated from places -both close to and way from pharma units --are not reacting to most of the potent medicines available in the market.

A research study conducted by Prof S Dayananda of the Department of Animal Biology , School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, reveals that the bacteria collected from soil located five km upstream of pharma units and water bodies 50 km away from pharma clusters also showed drug resistance. Actually , these bacteria from non-industrial areas were collected to serve as “control group“ for comparison with those collected near pharma clusters.

“Drug resistant bacterial strains were found both in samples collected from Pharma ma nufacturing clusters (PMC) and outside of PMCs. The samples collected from Nallagandla Lake, located up to 50 km away from any known PMCs, have more or equal number of drug resistant strains for certain antibiotics than in samples collected from within PMCs,“ said Prof Dayananda.

According to him, resistant pattern found in bacterial strains collected from one to five km upstream (non-industrial area) of the Jadcherla SEZ was strikingly similar. “There is no clear evidence of selective enrichment of drug resistant bacteria among soilwater samples collected around PMCs,“ he said adding that further studies are in progress to establish the taxonomic identity of drug resistant strains.

As part of the research, water and soil samples were collected from storm water drains of Isnapur-Pashamylaram Industrial Development Area (IDA) located in the vicinity of Gaddapotharam IDA and Kazipally IDA, as also non-industrial areas like Nallagandla Lake.The bacteria were tested for resistance against drugs like Ampicillin, Kanamycin, Tetracycline, Chloramphenicol, Ceftazidime and Ciprofloxacin. The pattern of resistance varied.

The researchers are conducting further studies on the isolated bacterial resistant strains to establish their taxonomic identity. Chromosomal DNA from all the resistant bacterial strains were isolated for gene sequencing.

Udaya Bhaskar, director-general, Pharmaceuticals Exports Promotion Council of India, said there was no evidence to show that pharmaceutical clusters have selectively enriched bacteria to a particular antibiotic. “The study is extended for the resistant strains isolated both from control samples and resistant strains isolated from the PMCs. It will throw light on nature of resistant strains and selective enrichment of pathogenic bacteria near pharma units,“ he added.