Hyderabad, Oct. 28 -- A groundbreaking study has revealed that the source of drinking water may play a decisive role in shaping antimicrobial resistance (AMR) within India's isolated tribal populations.
The research, conducted jointly by the Anthropological Survey of India and the Central University of Hyderabad (UoH), found that unprotected water sources could be significant ecological drivers of antibiotic resistance in human gut microbiomes.
The study, titled "Antimicrobial Resistance: A One-Health Metagenomic Study of Indian Tribal Gut," analysed 103 healthy adults from three Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) - Irula, Jenu Kuruba, and Kurumba - across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala.
Researchers used shotgun metagenomic...