The food chain can allow genes to be transferred from species to species across the planet. The consumption of many genes may not have any effect on us, but the consumption of say, an antibiotic-resistant bacterium, could potentially be very harmful. We are often notified of any outbreaks that could be dangerous and recalls are issued on the problematic food, but what if the problem is tracked all the way down to fertilizer?

A by-product of waste-water treatment, sewage sludge is used as a fertilizer in places around the world. However, a strain of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) has been found in sewage sludge in Uppsala, Sweden. The immediate danger of a VRE is not much to worry about, for it is limited in its pathogenic capabilities. However, the resistance gene of a VRE could be passed on to other bacteria. Should a human or an animal be subjected to the resistance gene-carrying bacteria, the resulting infections could be as potentially dangerous to that individual as the bubonic plague was to a medieval European.

Although this could take years, prevention is the best medicine. Leena Sahlström of the Finnish Food Safety Authority and her fellow researchers agreed that “a more efficient hygienic treatment of sewage sludge” would be key in minimizing the risk of human antimicrobial resistance stemming from mere fertilizer.

Discussion Question: What are some bacteria that you think would be fatal if it gained antimicrobial resistance?

News Article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090528203737.htm
Journal Article: http://www.actavetscand.com/content/51/1/24