New sea danger - drug resistance
Monday March 30th, 2015
Surfing and swimming are increasingly popular in British coastal waters - and thousands may be exposed to dangerous drug-resistant bacteria, researchers warned today.
The
researchers at Exeter University medical school claim that water-users
may have been exposed to drug-resistant E.coli on at least six million
occasions.
But, they say, their findings are not a reason for people to stop enjoying the sea.
Future studies will seek to assess the direct health impact of E. coli on people using the sea.
The researchers say surfers and swimmers are most at risk because they tend to take in water.
Their research also showed a strong link between E.coli risk and water quality at beaches, they report in Environment International.
They say that 0.12% of E.coli bacteria found in the sea were resistant to third-generation cephalosporin antibiotics, a powerful class of drugs.
Researcher Dr William Gaze said: “We know very little about how the natural environment can spread antibiotic resistant bacteria to humans, or how our exposure to these microbes can affect health. People are exposed to antibiotic resistant bacteria in many ways, through person-to-person contact, via food and as a result of international travel. Our research establishes recreational use of coastal waters as an additional route of exposure."
Fellow researcher Anne Leonard said: “Although this research has established that coastal waters are a potential source of exposure to antibiotic resistant bacteria, we’re not recommending that people stop visiting the beach.
"Exercise and enjoyment of the natural environment has many established benefits for health and wellbeing, and this kind of research will help us ensure people can still make the most our coastal resources.”
Human recreational exposure to antibiotic resistant bacteria in coastal bathing waters. Environment International 30 March 2015
Tags: Fitness | MRSA & Hygiene | Traveller Health | UK News
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