Research reveals the countries most at risk from superbugs

The threat posed by superbugs to travelers from countries around the globe has been revealed in a new study from The Australian National University (ANU).

International travel plays a pivotal role in the global spread of superbugs. To better understand the impact of this, ANU Professor Peter Collignon and co-author Dr. John Beggs measured the toll on 241 countries. Their results are published in the journal Antibiotics.

“This study is the first to quantify this ‘bi-directional’ risk on a global scale—looking at both travelers who pick a superbug up while overseas and bring it home and those who carry a bug with them to another country,” Professor Collignon said.

“While travel offers huge social and economic benefits, it also presents clear challenges for disease control. Measuring the risk is the first step towards more effective mitigation. The stark differences that showed up from country to country also show the need for greater public awareness.”

Northern Europe and Western Europe were the two regions most at risk of residents traveling abroad and bringing back superbugs. The region with the highest risk of infection from visiting travelers was the Caribbean.

Closer to home, New Zealand was near the top of the list when it came to overall impact from superbugs. Among countries with a population of more than 5 million people, New Zealand was third behind Hong Kong and Denmark.

“Australia and New Zealand have similar travel patterns for inbound and outbound tourists,” Dr. Beggs said. “But the tourism sector is relatively larger in New Zealand, leading to a greater burden from disease spread through travel.”

The authors used E. coli in their modeling. E. coli is the most common bacterial pathogen that infects people and causes serious disease. But according to the study’s authors, there are things travelers can do to limit the risk of infection.

“Travelers to high-risk regions where superbugs are more readily acquired through food, water or human contact should follow standard precautions,” Professor Collignon said. “This includes taking extra care with the water you’re drinking, eating only thoroughly cooked food, avoiding raw produce unless properly washed and practicing good hand hygiene—including using hand sanitizer.

“These measures not only reduce the risk of illness but also the likelihood of carrying resistant strains home.”

The threat posed by superbugs to travelers from countries around the globe has been revealed in a new study from The Australian National University (ANU).

International travel plays a pivotal role in the global spread of superbugs. To better understand the impact of this, ANU Professor Peter Collignon and co-author Dr. John Beggs measured the toll on 241 countries. Their results are published in the journal Antibiotics.

“This study is the first to quantify this ‘bi-directional’ risk on a global scale—looking at both travelers who pick a superbug up while overseas and bring it home and those who carry a bug with them to another country,” Professor Collignon said.

“While travel offers huge social and economic benefits, it also presents clear challenges for disease control. Measuring the risk is the first step towards more effective mitigation. The stark differences that showed up from country to country also show the need for greater public awareness.”

Northern Europe and Western Europe were the two regions most at risk of residents traveling abroad and bringing back superbugs. The region with the highest risk of infection from visiting travelers was the Caribbean.

Closer to home, New Zealand was near the top of the list when it came to overall impact from superbugs. Among countries with a population of more than 5 million people, New Zealand was third behind Hong Kong and Denmark.

“Australia and New Zealand have similar travel patterns for inbound and outbound tourists,” Dr. Beggs said. “But the tourism sector is relatively larger in New Zealand, leading to a greater burden from disease spread through travel.”

The authors used E. coli in their modeling. E. coli is the most common bacterial pathogen that infects people and causes serious disease. But according to the study’s authors, there are things travelers can do to limit the risk of infection.

“Travelers to high-risk regions where superbugs are more readily acquired through food, water or human contact should follow standard precautions,” Professor Collignon said. “This includes taking extra care with the water you’re drinking, eating only thoroughly cooked food, avoiding raw produce unless properly washed and practicing good hand hygiene—including using hand sanitizer.

“These measures not only reduce the risk of illness but also the likelihood of carrying resistant strains home.”