Climate change may benefit bacteria in lakes and oceans

A thesis at Umeå University identified so-called pathogens in Swedish waters, for example bacteria that can cause diseases in humans.

The researchers looked in particular at bacteria that can survive phagocytosis, the mechanism the body’s immune cells use to attack harmful bacteria.

– Many bacteria that can survive phagocytosis can cause serious diseases in humans, such as cholera, plague, and Legionnaire’s disease. With the help of new technologies, we can distinguish these organisms from their close relatives, says environmental researcher Karolina Eriksson, who wrote the thesis.

Bacteria may benefit from climate change

The results showed the presence of many of these bacteria in both fresh water and high-salinity water. There is also a risk that some bacteria could benefit from climate change, researchers say.

Bacteria that cause disease in humans may benefit from climate change The image shows bacteria around a potential host animal, called a ciliate. Photo: Karolina Eriksson

More about pathogens

Pathogens are infectious agents that occur naturally in the environment, often within amoeba and other organisms. But it has long been unclear what water they are found in and how they benefit from them, knowledge that is important for understanding how they can infect people and cause disease outbreaks.

More infectious agents in brown water

One important finding in the study is that some pathogens appear to be more common in brown-colored water, called hydrated water. Wetting is increasing in line with climate change and increased land use.

– Karolina Eriksson says that the northern Baltic Sea and many lakes are already affected by wetting today, which affects entire ecosystems because it favors bacteria over organisms that live on the sun’s energy.

The researchers saw that Legionella bacteria in particular are found to a greater extent in the northern part of the Baltic Sea, but also in flows into lakes where the water is moistened. Increased hydration in the future can also lead to excess iron and a lower pH value, which is similar to bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa It proved resistant.

Environmental monitoring can prevent threats

The researchers also identified organisms in the environment that could be hosts to the bacteria. It increases understanding of how bacteria interact with the ecosystem.

In her thesis, Karolina Eriksson shows how pathogens can be identified and studied in their natural environments. She believes that if this method is combined with environmental monitoring, environmental factors that favor bacteria can be discovered.

– Continuous and expanded environmental monitoring makes it possible to prevent and act against potential threats and can therefore be invaluable for community preparedness against diseases caused by bacteria such as Vibrio and Legionella, but also against new diseases from other bacteria.

thesis:

Bacteria that escape predation: aquatic pathogens and their relativesUmeå University.

communication:

Karolina Eriksson, Department of Environment and Earth Sciences, Umeå University, [email protected]