Aircraft toilets could be key to tackling ‘silent pandemic', scientists say

Independent

15 hours ago

Testing aircraft toilet waste could help track the global spread of drug-resistant superbugs, which is often referred to as the 'silent pandemic' and are projected to kill more people than cancer by 2050.
The study, published in the journal Microbiology Spectrum, analysed lavatory wastewater from 44 international flights arriving in Australia from nine countries.
Scientists, including those from the University of Southern Australia, detected nine high-priority pathogens and superbugs, including some that are acquired in hospitals and resistant to multiple drugs.
Five of the nine superbugs were present in all 44 flight samples, while one gene that makes bacteria resistant to last-resort antibiotics was detected on 17 flights.
This particular antibiotic-resistance gene had not been detected in Australia's urban wastewater so far, suggesting it likely entered the country through international air travel.
The findings confirm that aircraft wastewater can be a valuable tool for global antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) surveillance.
'Aircraft wastewater captures microbial signatures from passengers across different continents, offering a non-invasive, cost-effective way to monitor threats like AMR,' said Dr Warish Ahmed, author of the study and principal research scientist at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).
Of the 44 flights, 18 originated from India, 14 from the UK, six from Germany, and the remainder were single flights from France, UAE, Türkiye, South Africa, Japan and Indonesia.
Researchers found that types and levels of pathogens varied depending on where the flights came from.
'Flights from Asia, particularly India, showed higher concentrations of antibiotic resistance genes, compared to flights from Europe and the UK,' said Dr Nicholas Ashbolt, another author of the study.
The differences could be due to variations in antibiotic use, water sanitation, population density, and public health policies across regions, scientists say.
'Aircraft wastewater monitoring could complement existing public health systems, providing early warnings of emerging superbug threats,' Dr Ashbolt says.
Researchers tested whether standard aircraft disinfectants could break down the genetic material, but found it remained stable for up to 24 hours even after cleaning.
'International travel is one of the major drivers of AMR spread. By monitoring aircraft wastewater, we can potentially detect and track antibiotic resistance genes before they become established in local environments,' said Yawen Liu, another author of the study.
'With AMR projected to cause more than 39 million deaths globally by 2050, the need for innovative surveillance tools is urgent,' Dr Ashbolt says.
Scientists hope the proof-of-concept study can be developed further to turn aircraft toilets into an early-warning system to better manage public health.