Climate Change Fueling Growth of Antibiotic-Resistant Salmonella

Climate change is linked to a 10% global increase in antibiotic-resistance genes in Salmonella, according to new research that suggests warming temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns could accelerate the spread of hard-to-treat infections.

The study — conducted by researchers from multiple institutes including the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of Cambridge — analyzed more than 480,000 Salmonella genomes collected from 139 countries between 1940 and 2023. Published this week in The Lancet Planetary Health, it found that temperature and precipitation levels are significantly associated with increases in antimicrobial- resistance genes, or ARGs, worldwide.

While salmonella is one of ...