Wednesday 24th of April 2024
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the superbugs of the sea birds on the sea shore are more dangerous than warships in sydney...

seagulls

Seagulls all over Australia are carrying superbugs resistant to antibiotics, scientists say. 

Silver gulls are carrying bacteria such as E. coli, which can cause urinary tract infections, sepsis and blood infections. 

The research has raised fears that the antibiotic-resistant bacteria- similar to superbugs which have hit hospitals - could infect humans and other animals.

Scientists have described it as "eye-opening" and a "wake-up call". 

The birds are believed to have contracted the bugs from scavenging in rubbish and sewage. 

The scientists who conducted the research on behalf of Murdoch University in Perth have said it is "eye-opening", The Guardian reported. 

"I think that it is a wake-up call for all government and various agencies, like water treatment and big councils that manage waste, to properly work collaboratively to tackle this issue," said Dr Sam Abraham, a lecturer in veterinary and medical infectious diseases.

Humans could contract the bacteria if they touched the seagull faeces, but the risk is considered low if they wash their hands afterwards. 

The study showed some bugs found in the faeces were resistant to common antibiotic medications such as cephalosporin and fluoroquinolone.

One sample showed resistance to carbapenem, which is a last-resort drug used for severe and high-risk infections.

 

Read more:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-48916923

 

Picture at top by Gus Leonisky: Garden Island Navy, Sydney, near Harry's Cafe de Wheels.

city birds...

birds in Sydney parks

Birdlife in Sydney. Ibis, seagulls, pigeons, corellas share the spoils on a Sydney park lawn near a bus stop and a ubiquitous rubbish bin that is often like a buffet for the avians... (Picture by Gus Leonisky)

 

See also: City Birds...

 

Seagulls pester chips-and-chips eaters on the shores of the city. If you have a picnic on a beach or a park, your choice of pests is between ants, seagulls and a smartly hidden kookaburra. Should you throw some scrap or chips to a couple of seagulls, it's likely the noise they make will attract 136 more seagulls around your blanket in three seconds flat. There are times, especially during stormy weather, when these birds venture deep inshore. According to some classification, seagulls are not so much a seabird but a scavenger that find most of its crumbs and breeding grounds near the sea. They squawk and never smile. They always appear angry to one another and pissed off with the world at large. I'm sure they blame god for something —possibly the superbugs.