What starts as a relaxing swim at an urban beach following heavy rainfall could turn out to be quite the opposite and leave bathers with dangerous antibiotic resistance, according to new research.
Swimmers who take a dip at some Sydney beaches after rain storms are putting themselves at risk of becoming resistant to antibiotics.
If a sick person s body does not respond to antibiotics, their infection can get significantly worse - with many left untreatable.
A terrifying study published in the Water Research journal in September 2019, found that there is a high risk of untreated sewage overflowing into the ocean which makes swimmers more susceptible to developing future drug resistance to antibiotics.
Urban beaches are environmental hotspots for antibiotic resistance
By Wendy John
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Every morning, Heidi Wintermeyer dons a bright pink cap and swims with fellow cancer survivors as part of Manly Beach s Bold and Beautiful swimming club. But after a big downpour, sheâs wary of the risk of untreated sewage overflowing into the ocean. âMost of the people I swim with know better than to go in after heavy rain,â she says. âTheyâll miss swim club rather than get sick.â
But research indicates that getting sick after a downpour is not the only risk: antibiotic-resistant bacteria can last for seven days at some Sydney beaches. If contaminated water is accidentally swallowed, the swimmer is at risk of developing future drug resistance to antibiotics, says Professor Maurizio Labbate of the school of life sciences at the University of Technology Sydney.
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