Five ‘high-priority’ pathogens discovered entering Australia via airplane toilets
Five high-priority pathogens and superbugs have entered Australia on international flights, an investigation of wastewater in airplane toilets has revealed. The new research, led by the national science agency, CSIRO, confirms that air travel is a key pathway for antimicrobial-resistant bacteria to enter the country.
Working with an international team of university scientists, the researchers found superbugs in every one of the 44 samples. Close to a third tested positive for a gene with resistance to last resort antibiotics that had not previously been found in Australia.