Wastewater treatment plants in South Africa may be helping to spread antibiotic resistance into rivers and the wider environment, according to a new study. In this study, researchers looked at how antibiotic resistance behaves in wastewater treatment plants and nearby rivers in a major South African city. Dr John Paul Makumbi, a medical microbiologist and the study’s lead author, said that antibiotic resistance is a natural process. Wastewater treatment plants receive a mix of waste from homes, hospitals, factories, and slaughterhouses. The study suggests that wastewater treatment plants may act as “superspreaders” of antibiotic resistance in the environment.

Source: Daily News Egypt March 30, 2026 23:54 UTC