By Jordan Haworth

Developed countries with higher wealth inequality may have higher rates of drug-resistant bacteria, new studies show.

An analysis of drug-resistance, wealth inequality and child development studies says that infectious diseases are a threat to adult and child populations.

The study, published in the Public Health Ethics Analysis series says an increase in drug-resistant bacteria makes it harder for these infections to be treated, further risking the health of children in lower income groups due to poor access to drugs.

Developing countries may have higher rates of infections, but studies show that European countries with higher wealth inequality have shown a positive correlation with harder to treat infections.