Study finds antibiotic resistant genes on Chennai metro surfaces
Researchers from IIT Madras identified various microorganisms and genetic material on the Blue and Green Lines of the Chennai Metro.
Researchers from IIT Madras have identified bacteria and genetic material linked to antibiotic resistance on surfaces within the Chennai Metro network, according to a report by India Today.
The study involved collecting 96 samples from trains and 12 stations across the Blue and Green Lines. Out of these, 41 samples provided enough genetic material for analysis, revealing 72 families of antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs).
More than 80 per cent of the samples contained at least one ARG, which can assist bacteria in surviving antibiotics. Among the detected markers were those associated with resistance to rifamycins, a class of antibiotics that includes the tuberculosis medicine rifampicin.
The research noted that ticket-vending machines held a wider variety of microorganisms than train handrails. The study also found microbial species associated with human skin, soil, and water in almost every sample.
Researchers clarified that they analysed DNA rather than testing if the bacteria were alive or capable of causing illness. They stated that the presence of these microorganisms does not prove that passengers are at risk of infection.
A separate study published in Science of the Total Environment last November examined airborne microorganisms at railway stations in Delhi. That research found bacteria such as Pseudomonas and Moraxella, along with genes linked to antibiotic resistance and disease potential.