“Using the Bathroom on Airplanes Might Not Be So Bad After All”
Researchers have come up with a quirky new way to track the spread of dangerous antimicrobial-resistant germs: by studying the poop and pee from airplane bathrooms.
What’s lurking in airplane wastewater?
The researchers found nine different deadly pathogens in their analysis, including some superbugs that are resistant to multiple drugs. They even discovered a gene that provides resistance to last-resort antibiotics on 17 flights. Surprisingly, this gene was not found in urban wastewater in Australia, suggesting it entered the country through international travel. Out of the 44 flights sampled, five had traces of these superbugs.
“Airplane wastewater can give us valuable insight into the presence of antimicrobial-resistant germs brought in by passengers from around the world,” explained Warish Ahmed, lead author of the study and researcher at the University of South Australia.
Could wastewater be our early warning system?
The researchers believe that monitoring airplane wastewater could serve as an early warning system for emerging risks from superbugs. With predictions suggesting that antimicrobial-resistant germs could be deadlier than cancer by 2050, it’s crucial to find innovative ways to track and combat these dangerous pathogens.
“As international travel plays a significant role in the spread of resistant germs, keeping an eye on airplane wastewater could help us detect antibiotic resistance genes before they become a widespread issue in local environments,” emphasized Yawen Liu, one of the study authors and a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Xiamen.
So next time you’re on a flight, just remember that even the poop and pee can tell us important things about global health risks. Let’s hope this creative approach can help us stay one step ahead of superbugs!
