A new global study has found that climate change is contributing to the rise of antibiotic resistance in Salmonella, one of the world’s leading causes of diarrhoeal disease. Researchers from institutions including the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of Cambridge analysed more than 480,000 Salmonella genomes from 139 countries and found that climate change accounted for about 10% of the global increase in antimicrobial-resistance genes (ARGs).
The study, published in The Lancet Planetary Health, linked higher temperatures and changing rainfall patterns to faster bacterial growth and greater spread of resistance genes through water systems.
Global ARG levels in Salmonella increased by 38% during the study period, with 82% of countries showing rising resistance. – Bloomberg (27 May 2026)