Bacteria in Soil Eat Antibiotics for Breakfast

Medical professionals, worried about the rise of antibiotic resistant organisms, have warned consumers against the overuse of antibiotics and antibacterial products; yet, a group of Harvard researchers has now discovered hundreds of bacteria that can consume common antibiotics and actually grow with no other source of nourishment. According to the experts, these bacteria perform a vital task, breaking down the antibiotics that humans inadvertently allow to build-up in soil. None of the soil bacteria pose any health danger to humans, but the researchers are concerned that the mechanism by which these bacteria developed their resistance to antibiotics may eventually be passed along to human pathogens.