The Roman Baths from which Bath derives its name are the only hot springs in the United Kingdom
As the world battles antimicrobial resistance, research coming out of the University of Plymouth suggests that one of the greatest tourist attractions in the UK – the Roman Baths in the city that derives its name from those structures – could hold potential for developing new antibiotics.The research was carried out by students and academics from the University of Plymouth’s School of Biomedical Sciences and School of Biological and Marine Sciences, working closely with staff at the Roman Baths.
In a paper published in the Journal The Microbe the researchers reported that of the 297 isolates that were purified from various locations within the 2000 year old complex, 15 showed broad spectrum activity against human pathogens. Dr Lee Hutt, Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Plymouth and a senior author of the study, said: “This is a really important, and very exciting, piece of research. Antimicrobial resistance is recognised as one of the most significant threats to global health, and the hunt for novel antimicrobial natural products is gathering pace. This study has for the first time demonstrated some of the microorganisms present within the Roman Baths, revealing it as a potential source of novel antimicrobial discovery. There is no small irony in the fact the waters of the Roman Baths have long been regarded for their medicinal properties and now, thanks to advances in modern science, we might be on the verge of discovering the Romans and others since were right.”
An estimated 1.27 million deaths occurred in 2019 due to drug-resistant infections. The number is set to go up as a variety of factors including antibiotic overuse makes more and more pathogens resistant to commonly used antibiotics and the medical fraternity moves on to higher levels of antibiotics. Hot springs around the world are known to harbour substances with antimicrobial potential which is perhaps where their reputation as healing locations, comes from.
Hot springs located in Bath, England, were harnessed by ancient Romans to create the Temple Sulis-Minerva, which still stands today. These waters were famed for their medicinal properties and were sites for socialisation and leisure
