Antibiotic resistance in dolphins mirrors trend seen in humans

Samples collected from dolphins by scientists over a 12 year period indicate that dolphins may be mirroring the trend in human resistance to antibiotic drugs.

Researchers looked at the samples from bottlenose dolphins living in the Indian River Lagoon in Florida between 2003 and 2015 and found that nearly 90% of the 733 samples taken from 171 dolphins contained a pathogen resistant to at least one antibiotic.

The Indian River Lagoon is subject to human-related pollution that causes environmental issues for the dolphin’s habitat.

The antibiotic that the pathogens were most commonly resistant to is one used to treat human illnesses like chest infections and sexually transmitted diseases like syphilis.

Resistant bacteria enter the lagoon from land via sewage systems where they creating resistant pathogens that dolphins are then exposed to.

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