**** ! New Antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria found in coastal waters around the UK ! ****

Evan though our seas may look clean, they may contain a hidden threat.
Research reveals new threats, you cant see them but they have superpowers.
They are dangerous bacteria that have developed a resistance to antibiotics.
There the "superbugs" weve all seen the headlines, our hospitals are at war with them.
MRSA and e.coli are posing a real threat to us, especially when the drugs used to treat them stop working!
It has been predicted that they are causing more deaths then cancer by 2050. With the UKs Cheif medical officer ranking them alongside climate change and terrorism!
Back in 2014 research was done on farms to determine how the use of antibiotics creates these superbugs, and how they pass on to humans.
Now theres new research published today by the University of Exeter Medical school, it reveals that not only are these antibiotics resistant superbugs finding there way into the water table and coastal water, but they are finding there way into people!
The results show that E-coli resistant strains are found in coastal waters of england and wales, and that there levels are high enough to pose an exposure risk!
150 surfers did a study where they were tested to see which strains of bacteria found in the coastal waters ended up going into there gut. The results showed that surfers are 3x more likely to be carrying the antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria. The risk of picking bacteria up from exposure to sea water is the worst its ever been.
Heavy rains cause sewage to overflow into our rivers and then onto the beaches.
Its not just surfers affected its literally anyone who uses the beach potentially.
Its alarming enough to determine that these bacteria are present in the ocean and rivers ONLY becasue of human activity.

Where are they coming from?

Dr Ann Lennard from university of exeter medical school and lead author of the beach study says its from inland sources such as waste water and farms.

Samples of the sea water are taken and then took back to the lab. The water is the cultured on plates containing agar and antibiotics. If and bacteria grow on the medium then this shows antibiotic resistant strains are present.

This is a problem that scientist are just begining to study and understand. !