HYDERABAD: Unsafe drinking water has emerged as a key ecological driver of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) among three of South India’s most isolated tribal communities, according to a new study conducted by the University of Hyderabad’s (UoH) School of Life Sciences and the Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI).
Researchers studied 103 healthy adults from the Irula, Jenu Kuruba, and Kurumba communities across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala. Participants provided faecal samples and socio-demographic details, including their water source (stream or tubewell) and type of residence (rural or urban). By combining lifestyle data, the team was able to link environmental exposure with variations in gut resistome composition.
It found that tubewell users carried more antibiotic resistance genes, while those using stream water had a wider range of resistance traits linked to metals and biocides.
Reaseachers said the findings highlight how environmental factors can shape resistance patterns even in remote communities with minimal exposure to modern antibiotics.