WASTEWATER from the loos on planes could hold the key to the global spread of superbugs, described as “a silent pandemic” that threatens to kill more than 39 million people around the world by 2050.

Nine pathogens and superbugs were detected in the lavatory water from 44 international flights that arrived in Australia.

Five of the superbugs were found in all 44 flight samples, while a gene conferring resistance to last-resort antibiotics was detected on 17 flights.

Interestingly, that gene was not found in Australia’s own urban wastewater during the same period, meaning it was likely introduced from overseas.

The research was conducted by the team at CSIRO, in partnership with Xiamen University, the University of South Australia and Michigan Technological University.

“Aircraft wastewater captures microbial signatures from passengers across different continents, offering a non-invasive, cost-effective way to monitor threats like AMR,” said senior author Dr Warish Ahmed, a principal research scientist from CSIRO.

Tuberculosis, influenza and SARS-CoV-2 have all been known to spread via air travel.

International travel is one of the major drivers of AMR spread, so the need for innovative surveillance tools like monitoring aircraft wastewater is urgent, warned co-author Professor Nicholas Ashbolt.

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