Residents of Hong Kong, New Zealand and Denmark are most likely to "bring home" superbugs when they return from a trip, according to scientists at the Australian National University. The results of the study were published in the journal Antibiotics.
International travel plays an important role in the global spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The infections they cause are difficult to treat and cause many deaths. In order to better understand how superbugs spread, scientists analyzed the situation in 241 countries.
"This is the first study to quantify this two-way risk on a global scale. "We looked at both travelers who contract the superbug abroad and return home with it, and those who bring their own germs to another country," said study lead author Professor Peter Collignon.
Northern and Western Europe became the two regions whose inhabitants were most likely to travel abroad and return infected with superbugs. Scientists have considered the Caribbean as the region with the highest risk of infection from travelers. Hong Kong, New Zealand and Denmark topped the list for overall superbug exposure; the inhabitants of these countries most likely brought dangerous microorganisms home and abroad.
“Travellers should observe standard precautions. This includes being especially careful when drinking water, eating only well-cooked food, avoiding raw food and maintaining good hand hygiene, including using hand sanitizer," Collignon reminded.
Translation by Euromedia24.com
