A “superbug” gene that was first detected in India — and allows bacteria to evade “last resort” antibiotics — has now been found thousands of miles away, in a remote region of the Arctic, according to a new study.

The findings underscore just how far and wide antibiotic resistance genes have spread, now reaching some of the most far-flung areas of the planet.

“Encroachment into areas like the Arctic reinforces how rapid and far-reaching the spread of antibiotic resistance has become,” senior study author David Graham, a professor of ecosystems engineering at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom, said in a statement. The findings confirm that solutions to antibiotic resistance “must be viewed in global rather than just local terms.”

Not “local” to the Arctic

Antibiotic resistance has existed for much longer than humans have been around. Indeed, bacteria naturally produce substances to defend themselves against other bacteria or microorganisms. (For example, penicillin comes from a type of mold, or fungus.)

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