Startling new scientific research has pointed the finger to the farmers that pumped their livestock with penicillin six decades ago, as the way in which antibiotic-resistant bacteria began, Dailyrecord.co.uk reported.
The study said that the evolution and spread of superbugs have been caused by the low doses of penicillin given to animals to push their growth in the US and Europe. This practice occurred in the 1950’s.
Study leader Dr Francois-Xavier Weill, of the Pasteur Institute in Paris, said: "Our findings suggest antibiotic residues in farming environments such as soil, wastewater and manure may have a much greater impact on the spread of resistance than previously thought."
The study is published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. Antibiotic resistance sweeps the lives of approximately 25,000 people in Europe every year.