Could sloths be the source of new antibiotics?

These slow-moving mammals could turn out to be harbouring potential new drugs to help fight bacterial diseases. — AFP

The fur of Costa Rican sloths appears to harbour antibiotic-producing bacteria that scientists hope may hold a solution to the growing problem of "superbugs" resistant to humanity's dwindling arsenal of drugs.

Sloth fur, research has found, hosts bustling communities of insects, algae, fungi and bacteria, among other microbes, some of which could pose disease risk.