The emergence of “superbugs” in the Middle East was associated with the 2003 war in Iraq
An international team of biologists has found evidence that the occurrence of antibiotic-resistant “superbugs” in the Middle East has increased markedly since the 2003 US invasion of Iraq and the subsequent war there, according to an article in BMJ Global Health.
According to scientists, “superbugs” appeared due to the destroyed health infrastructure, improper use of therapies in the field, high levels of pollution of nature and the bodies of patients with heavy metal ions and unsanitary conditions.
First, such bacteria spread throughout Iraq, then to the Middle East, and eventually to the whole world.
Over the past two decades, microbiologists have identified dozens of strains of microbes that are resistant to the action of one or more antibiotics.
Scientists say that these “superbugs” arise as a result of the massive misuse of antibiotics in medicine and animal husbandry. Another factor is the ingress of these drugs along with urban and industrial waste into natural ecosystems.
