A study by Perth’s Murdoch University has found that more than 20% of Australian silver gulls are carrying superbugs resistant to antibiotics, raising fears that disease-causing bacteria may spread from the birds to humans, livestock and pets.
One bird at Cottesloe Beach in Perth was found to be resistant to the drug colistin, the last antibiotic treatment option used after all others have failed, which has never been found before in Australian wildlife.
A lecturer in veterinary and medical infectious disease at Murdoch University, Dr Sam Abraham, says the ‘eye-opening’ study should be a wake up call for Australian governments to properly manage water treatment and waste management to reduce the risk of spreading diseases to wildlife.