CANBERRA, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Australian researchers have found that drinking water plumbing systems are a significant yet overlooked source of antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) pathogens, posing a serious public health risk, a Flinders University study has revealed.
With the World Health Organization warning that AMR could claim 10 million lives annually by 2050, surpassing cancer as the leading cause of death worldwide, the study urges the development of better strategies to address AMR risks in water systems, especially in settings with vulnerable groups like hospitals.
The study showed alarming levels of AMR bacteria in both hospital and residential water systems. Despite global efforts to tackle AMR, surveillance has largely focused on clinical settings, leaving environmental sources like plumbing systems under-examined, according to a press release issued by the Adelaide-abased university on Thursday.
Researchers from Flinders University and the University of South Australia detected key AMR threats, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), among others, in biofilm and water samples across Australia.
About 73 percent of residential samples and 38 percent of hospital samples contained at least one AMR pathogen, showed the findings, adding nearly half of the residential water fixtures tested positive for two or more resistant bacteria.
Drain biofilms, often resistant to disinfection, were a major reservoir for these pathogens, the study said, adding resistance genes were present even after the original bacteria had died, suggesting biofilms can act as long-term genetic reservoirs.
The study, published in the Journal of Hospital Infection, also found that MRSA, typically found on dry surfaces, was surprisingly detected in plumbing systems.
"Our research underscores the urgent need for enhanced surveillance and targeted interventions to mitigate the risks posed by AMR pathogens in drinking water systems," said lead researcher Claire Hayward, an environmental microbiologist at Flinders University. ■
