Farming, pharmaceutical and health pollution fuelling rise in superbugs, UN warns

Sewage, poor sanitation and a lack of regulation give rise to antimicrobial resistance and threaten global health, report says

Pollution from livestock farming, pharmaceuticals and healthcare is threatening to destroy a key pillar of modern medicine, as spills of manure and other pollution into waterways are adding to the global rise of superbugs, the UN has warned.

Animal farming is one of the key sources of strains of bacteria that have developed resistance to all forms of antibiotics, through the overuse of the medicines in farming.