News
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria thriving in Galway’s sewers
Scientists at NUIG have discovered high levels of bacteria resistant to all antibiotics in urban sewage – but they insist that risk can be reduced greatly by an effective wastewater treatment.
Researchers at the School of Medicine – together with colleagues in UCD – carried out the study on whether antibiotics and antibiotic resistant bacteria are present in hospital sewage and city sewage generally.
The research, published by the EPA, sought to address how antibiotics seep into the environment and to examine possible effects on human health.
The NUIG scientists claimed that antibiotic resistance was one of the greatest threats to public health. They revealed a worldwide epidemic whereby bacterium was becoming resistant to antibiotics and as a result infections becoming increasingly difficult to treat.
High levels of resistant bacteria existed in hospital sewage where – on average – one in three patients are on antibiotics. Bacteria in hospital sewage also proved resistance to a number of “newer” antibiotics.
But the study also showed resistant bacteria was reduced greatly by effective wastewater treatment. However they maintain that it did not eliminate them completely some antibiotic resistant bacteria survive and are discharged to seawater.
“This study highlights a part of the problem of antibiotic resistance that does not receive very much attention,” explained Dr. Dearbháile Morris, a bacteriologist from the School of Medicine at NUI Galway.
“Our work shows that there is a risk related to antibiotics and antibiotic resistant bacteria in sewage but that a high standard of sewage treatment goes a long way to reduce that risk.
“This is one more reason why the discharge of untreated or inadequately treated sewage to the environment in Ireland or indeed anywhere in Europe or the wider world is an unacceptable risk to our health,” she added.
Resistant bacteria have emerged in humans due to overconsumption and improper use of antibiotic medicines. Bodies do not distil all of the antibiotics we ingest and as a result many active agents find their way into the natural environment.
Once exposed to the environment, expelled antibiotics mingle with bacteria in the water and cause existing microorganisms to develop resistant genes thus increasing the number of antibiotic resistant bacteria.
Urban waste water and sewage treatment is vitally important in combating the global phenomenon of antibiotic and antimicrobial resistance. Untreated sewage has a long term ecological impact on the environment.
The latest EPA report on Urban Waste Water Treatment reveals that untreated sewage was discharged from 45 areas, 27 of which were located in counties Cork, Donegal and Galway.
The report also shows just 24% of waste water discharged into sensitive areas from large towns and cities complied with mandatory European Union nutrient quality standards.
But Dr Morris acknowledged that the old hypothesis which suggests an occasional pinch of dirt can actually benefit the immune system by keeping it tuned and strong, could well hold some weight.
She admitted that “we have possibly become over concerned with hygiene” – to the detriment of our own health.
“Antibiotics are fantastic drugs” she insisted, adding “we have to protect them”. When antibiotics first came to use, they were made using naturally occurring ingredients like medicinal fungi – penicillin.
Since then, antibiotic resistance has forced pharmaceutical providers to create a new selection of drugs to fight infection.
Synthetic antibiotics like fluoroquinolones have increased in popularity as they do not biologically occur in nature, making them more robust. However, lately scientists are discovering increased resistance against synthetic drugs.
Reports last November emerged of the so called ‘Apocalypse Pig’, a swine which showed resistance to a 50-year-old and unexposed antibiotic, known as the ‘last-resort antibiotic’ – colistin.
The ECDC (European Centre for Disease Control) together with the WHO (World Health Organisation) have since called for global awareness on the issue.
Dr. Morris, echoing the sentiments of global health authorities, calls for more considered use of antibiotics in tackling the antimicrobial resistance epidemic.
Considered use means only taking antibiotics when they are genuinely needed as antibiotic use is a key driver for antimicrobial resistance. The modern lax approach to pharmaceuticals is one that ought to be curtailed according to Dr. Morris.
‘Dr. Google’ is also mentioned as responsible for spawning a nation of self-diagnosing hypochondriacs – pro ne to self-medication and exaggeration in order to obtain prescription.
Dr. Morris also warned against the unnecessary and futile use of antibiotics for treatment of viral infections.
The common cold and flu are two such examples – both strains of the influenza virus. It is said taking antibiotics for treatment of a virus may do the body – and the environment – more harm than good.
Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
On the eve of completing his 150th marathon, an odyssey that has taken him across 53 countries, Loughrea’s Marathon Man has announced that he is planning to hang up his running shoes.
But not before Jarlath Fitzgerald completes another ten races, making it 160 marathons on the occasion of his 60th birthday.
“I want to draw the line in 2026. I turn 57 in October and when I reach 60 it’s the finishing line. The longer races are taking it out of me. I did 20 miles there two weeks ago and didn’t feel good. It’s getting harder,” he reveals.
“I’ve arthritis in both hips and there’s wear and tear in the knees.”
We speak as he is about to head out for a run before his shift in Supervalu Loughrea. Despite his physical complaints, he still clocks up 30 miles every second week and generally runs four days a week.
Jarlath receives injections to his left hip to keep the pain at bay while running on the road.
To give his joints a break, during the winter he runs cross country and often does a five-mile trek around Kylebrack Wood.
He is planning on running his 150th marathon in Cork on June 4, where a group of 20 made up of work colleagues, friends and running mates from Loughrea Athletics Club will join him.
Some are doing the 10k, others are doing the half marathon, but all will be there on the finishing line to cheer him on in the phenomenal achievement.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
From the Galway City Tribune – An impassioned plea for a ‘masterplan’ that would guide Galway City into the future has been made in the Dáil. Galway West TD Catherine Connolly stated this week that there needed to be an all-inclusive approach with “vision and leadership” in order to build a sustainable city.
Deputy Connolly spoke at length at the crisis surrounding traffic and housing in Galway city and said that not all of the blame could be laid at the door of the local authority.
She said that her preference would be the provision of light rail as the main form of public transport, but that this would have to be driven by the government.
“I sat on the local council for 17 years and despaired at all of the solutions going down one road, metaphorically and literally. In 2005 we put Park & Ride into the development plan, but that has not been rolled out. A 2016 transport strategy was outdated at the time and still has not been updated.
“Due to the housing crisis in the city, a task force was set up in 2019. Not a single report or analysis has been published on the cause of the crisis,” added Deputy Connolly.
She then referred to a report from the Land Development Agency (LDA) that identified lands suitable for the provision of housing. But she said that two-thirds of these had significant problems and a large portion was in Merlin Park University Hospital which, she said, would never have housing built on it.
In response, Minister Simon Harris spoke of the continuing job investment in the city and also in higher education, which is his portfolio.
But turning his attention to traffic congestion, he accepted that there were “real issues” when it came to transport, mobility and accessibility around Galway.
“We share the view that we need a Park & Ride facility and I understand there are also Bus Connects plans.
“I also suggest that the City Council reflect on her comments. I am proud to be in a Government that is providing unparalleled levels of investment to local authorities and unparalleled opportunities for local authorities to draw down,” he said.
Then Minister Harris referred to the controversial Galway City Outer Ring Road which he said was “struck down by An Bord Pleanála”, despite a lot of energy having been put into that project.
However, Deputy Connolly picked up on this and pointed out that An Bord Pleanála did not say ‘No’ to the ring road.
“The High Court said ‘No’ to the ring road because An Bord Pleanála acknowledged it failed utterly to consider climate change and our climate change obligations.
“That tells us something about An Bord Pleanála and the management that submitted such a plan.”
In the end, Minister Harris agreed that there needed to be a masterplan for Galway City.
“I suggest it is for the local authority to come up with a vision and then work with the Government to try to fund and implement that.”
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
