HYDERABAD: Blighted by a high level of pharmaceutical pollution , Hyderabad has emerged as a virtual factory churning out bacteria that have developed resistance to over 90% of known antibiotics . These bacteria, which otherwise are tame, have now become dangerous enough to resist even the most powerful of antibiotics. They have gained the ability to produce enzymes like ‘extended-spectrum beta-lactamase’ and ‘carbapenemase’ to become super bugs. Bombarded by a heavy dose of pharma wastes by different drug companies into water, the bacteria have in fact become habituated to a wide spectrum of antibiotics. When these bacteria enter human bodies, they do not react to drugs and continue surviving causing health issues including death.

German researchers, who studied samples of polluted water from 28 different locations in Hyderabad including the river Musi, have found that ordinary bacteria are turning into dangerous super bugs. This in other words means these bacteria will not respond to over 90 per cent of all known antibiotics. The latest study in the city was carried out in November last year. The results, released now, are quite alarming as the bacteria have become more drug resistant as compared to 2015 when a similar study was conducted.

The culprit is unchecked release of untreated pharma waste into water bodies. The study published in the latest issue of the science journal, Infection, reveals that environmental pollution with antimicrobial drugs from pharma industries is leading to an increased resistance to even the most powerful medicines. The research was conducted by scientists from half a dozen institutions including the division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Department of Gastroenterology and Rheumatology, Leipzig University Hospital, Germany.

“High antibiotic and antifungal concentrations in waste water from anti-infective drug production may exert selection pressure for multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens. We investigated the environmental presence of active pharmaceutical ingredients and their association with MDR gramnegative bacteria in Hyderabad, a major production area for the global bulk drug market,” the researchers said. The scientists collected water samples from different locations. They then tested the samples for 25 anti-infective drugs, besides the resistance genes present in the bacteria living in polluted waters. “All environmental specimens from 28 different sampling sites were contaminated with antimicrobials,” the study said.

Certain drugs like moxifloxacin, voriconazole and fluconazole were present in high concentration in the polluted water bodies. Eight other antibiotics were found in “increased” concentration in the industrial areas of Patancheru and Bollaram. The bacteria contained extended-spectrum beta-lactamase and carbapenemase enzymes in a little over 95 per cent of the samples analysed.

