Located deep within a cave where entry is limited, scientists have found a bacterium named
Paenibacillus that is resistant to 18 different antibiotics. These bugs have been living in isolation 1000 feet underground for over 4 million years.
This raises an important question– how did the bacterium become resistant to antibiotics discovered only in the 20th century.
Bacterium was found in
Lechuguilla Cave which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in New Mexico in the US. It is one of the longest caves in the world and the deepest in the US.
Because of the fragile and highly technical nature of the cave, it was only open to experts and researchers. It was originally discovered in 1986.
Restricted access makes it ideal to study how the microbes can influence human life.
