Prof. Kenneth Leung's Co-authored Paper Published in Nature Cities Revealing Hidden Health Risks in Urban Wetlands
𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀: 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗨𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝗪𝗲𝘁𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗛𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗛𝗼𝘁𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲?
Urban wetlands are vital "sponges" for cities, but are they also becoming reservoirs for Antibiotic Resistance Genes (ARGs)?
High Risk: ARG levels in urban wetlands are ~9x higher than natural lakes—comparable to raw sewage!
Viral Link: Viruses may facilitate the spread of resistance genes within these ecosystems.
Socioeconomic Factor: Better sewer systems in developed areas significantly lower ARG abundance.
Action Needed: Urgent need to treat stormwater runoff before it reaches our wetlands.
Read the full paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44284-026-00433-z