How surfing trebles risk of superbug

SURFERS and body boarders are at three times the normal risk of catching a dangerous superbug, a study has found.

Scientists believe their tendency to swallow a lot of sea water makes them far more likely to be infected by antibioticresistant E. coli.

Regular surfers swallow ten times as much as swimmers, making them more vulnerable to contamination. They are exposed to bugs from sewage in the sea and water run-off from farm crops treated with manure.

The researchers at Exeter University found 9 per cent of surfers, or 13 of 143, had been colonised by the superbug. That compared with just 3 per cent of the 130 non-surfers they tested using swabs.

The study, published in the journal Environment International, highlights the growing threat from superbugs, which have evolved to resist our antibiotic drugs and are predicted to kill one person every three seconds by the year 2050 if trends continue.

Dr Will Gaze of the University of Exeter, who supervised the research, said: ‘It is important that people understand the risks involved so that they can make informed decisions about their bathing and sporting habits.’