Roads pave the way for the spread of superbugs (movement of people)

University of Michigan ^ | September 29, 2011 | Unknown

[decimon]

ANN ARBOR, Mich.---Antibiotic resistant E. coli was much more prevalent in villages situated along roads than in rural villages located away from roads, which suggests that roads play a major role in the spread or containment of antibiotic resistant bacteria, commonly called superbugs, a new study finds.

Many studies on various infectious diseases have shown that roads impact the spread of disease, however this is the first known study to show that roads also impact the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria, said Joe Eisenberg, co-author and professor at the University of Michigan School of Public Health.

Researchers at the U-M SPH and colleagues from Universidad San Francisco de Quito, and Trinity College studied a region in northwest Ecuador for five years, focusing on antibiotic resistant E. coli and the common antibiotic paring of ampicillin and sulfamethoxazole.

"Our results show it's not just the individual's antibiotic use that affects antibiotic resistance," Eisenberg said. "Other important factors that affect the spread of antibiotic resistance are the rates at which people introduce new strains due to movement in and out of the region, as well as poor water quality and sanitation that allow for the transmission of antibiotic resistant strains." Both of these factors are influenced by the presence of the roads.

[crazydad]

Watch the movie Contagion, it lays it out how easy it would be to start another world epidemic.. Good movie except for DA DA DA MATT DAMON!

[united1000]

I actually can’t believe money was used to research this study. I wonder what type of conversation you would hold with the person that came up with the idea in the first place. He/She couldn’t have any common sense.

[Mike Darancette]

In 1918 WWI ended and millions were traveling like never before. Travel was slow giving more opportunity for people to arrive at their destinations with transmittable infection.

International travel today is quicker presenting one person less opportunity to infect their traveling companions.

[MrEdd]

The state of Michigan has finally degenerated to the point where higher level academics are just now discovering things that the rudest peasants knew in the dark ages.

I realize that this is truly the best that state can offer and I pity the Freepers stuck there.

[JimSEA]

LOL. That I believe!!

[af_vet_rr]

Europe from the Roman period forward? The roads helped spread plagues?

Ignorance and lots of folks living together. Ironically a lot of the ideas the Romans had - toilets with running water, bathing often, sterilizing instruments in hot water, probably could have helped save a lot of lives.

[decimon]

Listeria not e.Coli.

Okay. But the same point is made.

[workerbee]

Well sure, but funding was trickier back then.

[Secret Agent Man]

Dumb conclusion. Roads spread disease. Any travel can potentially spread disease. Guess we’ll all soon need to show a health ID before Big Brother lets us on the road.

Let’s just be honest. Hospitals are the worst place to be to pick up a disease, besides an aircraft cabin. More people pick up a staph infection FROM THE FREAKING HOSPITAL.