Milwaukee Waterways are a “Hotspot” for Antibiotic Resistance
Water and sediment in the three rivers that converge in Milwaukee, Wis., and the city harbor contain antibiotic-resistant bacteria in greater amounts than in bacteria isolated from the city’s hospitals, a Wisconsin Sea Grant researcher and her colleagues have found. The researchers are concerned these environmental “hotspots” for drug-resistant bacteria could harm human health by increasing the incidence of bacterial resistance in medical centers, and they urge people not to use antimicrobial products in their homes.