No Sign of Superbugs in Isolated Polar Bears (HealthDay News) --
Scant evidence of antibiotic-resistant superbugs has been found
in the droppings of Arctic polar bears that are isolated from
humans, potentially suggesting that humans are responsible for
the spread of such germs in the animal kingdom at large. "The
presence of antibiotic resistance genes has previously been
described in bacteria taken from the feces of deer, foxes, pigs,
dogs and cats," study researcher Trine Glad, of the University
of Tromso in Norway, said in a news release. But the researchers
wondered if the germs would show up in the Barents Sea area,
where humans are rare. In an examination of fecal samples and
rectal swabs that were taken from 10 polar bears in 2004-2006,
the researchers looked for genes that make germs resistant to
antibiotics. "This enables us to study an ecosystem with little
human impact and should allow us to determine whether these
genes are naturally occurring or are caused by exposure to human
antibiotics," Glad