Deadly antibiotic-resistant superbugs found in water off British coast for the first time, says study

Scientists at the University of Exeter Medical School found superbugs in the water at beaches around the country deemed safe for swimming.

They monitored the water ingested during water sports and found that those who go in regularly, such as surfers, and those who take in a lot of water, like swimmers, were at higher risk of exposure.

In 2012, they estimated that more than six million sea sessions resulted in swallowing a kind of E.coli bug that is resistant to commonly-used 3GC antibiotics.

While just 0.12 per cent of E.coli found in the coastal water and rivers running into beaches were resistant to 3GCs, this was enough to be a potential risk for those who spend time in the water.

There were, scientists said, many other resistant bugs floating around that also posed a risk but were not monitored on the study.


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[link to www.independent.co.uk]