A recent study published in PLOS Pathogens found that rural Bangladesh, which has high levels of arsenic poisoning in drinking water, had a greater prevalence of antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli in both water and child stool samples.

Antibiotic resistance is one of the primary causes of hospital admissions and fatalities worldwide. Researchers in the current study analyzed water and stool samples from 100 families in two rural Bangladeshi subdistricts, including mothers and young children.

Overall, E. coli was detected in 84% of water and stool samples from the Hajiganj and Matlab locations. Antibiotic- resistant was substantially more prevalent among children in Hajiganj (94%) than in Matlab (76%), and in water in Hajiganj (48%) compared to water in Matlab (22%, p0.05), but not among mothers. Additionally, a larger percentage of E. coli infections from Hajiganj were not effectively treated due to resistance to multiple antibiotics such as penicillin, cephalosporin, and chloramphenicol. 

Experts further stated that heavy metals like arsenic that result in antibiotic resistance in children are a significant public health problem and need immediate measures to decrease arsenic exposure.

(Source: https://www.news-medical.net/news/20221208/High-levels-of-arsenic-contamination-in-water-linked-to-antibiotic-resistance-carriage-among-children.aspx)