Pathogenic, drug-resistant bacteria found in wastewater treatment plants

Infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria are a global public health threat causing serious illness and even death. In a new study, researchers conducted a survey of 20 municipal wastewater plants in England, and isolated drug-resistant Enterococcus faecium from all sites in both untreated and treated wastewater plants except three, which use ultraviolet light disinfection. A genomic comparison of E. faecium isolates from wastewater and bloodstream isolates of infected patients revealed two major lineages.