Armed conflict accelerates antibiotic resistance, study finds

Armed conflicts significantly accelerate the development and spread of bacteria resistant to antibiotics, according to a review reported by ERR. Researchers at the Estonian University of Life Sciences and their Ukrainian colleagues analysed nearly 150 studies on the effects of warfare on human, animal and environmental health.

The review found that several factors in war zones contribute to drug resistance. Heavy metals such as lead and mercury released into soil and water by explosives and destroyed infrastructure can make local microbes less sensitive to medicines.

The effects also extend beyond the healthcare system of the country at war. In Poland, the number of difficult-to-treat tuberculosis cases doubled in just one year after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The spread of resistance results from a combination of biological and social factors. Toxic heavy metals force bacteria to use additional protective mechanisms to survive, which can also make them resistant to antibiotics. The shock waves and heat from explosions can damage bacterial genetic material, prompting bacteria to repair their genes and exchange them with other microbes, thereby accelerating mutations.

Interrupted treatment courses and poor-quality medicines often sold on the black market give pathogens an opportunity to adapt to existing drugs. Resistance that develops in war zones can therefore continue circulating and spread far beyond conflict areas through people, animals and waterways.

The researchers published their findings in the German Journal of Microbiology.