Drug Discovery and Development

  • Home Drug Discovery and Development
  • Drug Discovery
  • Genomics/Proteomics
  • Oncology
  • Neurological Disease
  • Infectious Disease
  • R&D 100 Awards
  • Pharma 50
    • 2022 Pharma 50
    • 2021 Pharma 50

Not Just Carry-ons: Airplane Toilets Carry Global Bacteria Patterns

By Drug Discovery Trends Editor | August 7, 2015

Planes don’t just carry people and luggage. They also haul toilet waste, and exotic mixes of bacteria, from continent to continent.

The gut waste found in the toilets could point toward larger patterns of bacteria, infectious disease and even microbial resistance, according to a new study published by a Danish team of scientists.

Eighteen flights landing in Copenhagen had their toilets pumped out of raw waste, and the Technical University of Denmark scientists performed “shotgun” DNA sequencing of the germs in the feces.

“Our study provides a first step towards a potential novel strategy for global surveillance enabling simultaneous detection of multiple human health threatening genetic elements, infectious agents and resistance genes,” they said.

Each Scandinavia Airline System plane carries roughly 400 liters of human waste. The subject flights came to Denmark from Bangkok, Beijing, Islamabad, Newark, Kangerlussuaq, Tokyo, Toronto and Washington, D.C., according to the study.

For each flight, three individual half-liter samples were collected. The hazardous loads were brought to a research facility for DNA extraction. Twenty GB of data was analyzed from each sample.

Microbial-resistance genes were found in greater abundance on planes coming from South Asia, as compared to North America, they found.

READ MORE: Can Vaccination, Diagnostics Help to Combat Antibiotic Resistance?

Salmonella enterica and norovirus were detected in greater amounts in South Asia. But Clostridium difficile was most abundant on planes hailing from North America.

“As international airplane flights are known to be a major route of transmissions for infectious diseases, airports have previously been suggested as potential control points for limiting the spread of disease outbreaks,” the scientists said. “In 2012 approximately 1.11 billion passengers traveled on an international flight; a number expected to increase beyond 1.45 billion in 2016. Thus, airports offer a potentially optimal site for global surveillance.”

Future analysis could also include complete sequencing for RNA viruses, they added.

International flights, if thus monitored regularly, could help combat drug resistance, the scientists added. Antimicrobial resistance is a global objective declared earlier this year by the World Health Organization.


Filed Under: Genomics/Proteomics

 

Related Articles Read More >

DNA Script SYNTAX
DNA Script raises $165M Series C for DNA printing platform
DNA Script SYNTAX
DNA Script launches a benchtop DNA printer
DNA
Unraveling the promise of genetics for treating progressive illness 
Alzheimer's disease
How to build a foundation for the next phase of Alzheimer’s disease research

MEDTECH 100 INDEX

Medtech 100 logo
Market Summary > Current Price
The MedTech 100 is a financial index calculated using the BIG100 companies covered in Medical Design and Outsourcing.

Need Drug Discovery news in a minute?

We Deliver!
Drug Discovery & Development Enewsletters get you caught up on all the mission critical news you need. Sign up today.
Enews Signup
Drug Discovery and Development
  • MASSDEVICE
  • DEVICETALKS
  • Medical Design & Outsourcing
  • MEDICAL TUBING + EXTRUSION
  • MEDTECH 100
  • Medical Design Sourcing
  • Subscribe to our Free E-Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • R&D World
  • Drug Delivery Business News
  • Pharmaceutical Processing World

Copyright © 2022 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search Drug Discovery & Development

  • Home Drug Discovery and Development
  • Drug Discovery
  • Genomics/Proteomics
  • Oncology
  • Neurological Disease
  • Infectious Disease
  • R&D 100 Awards
  • Pharma 50
    • 2022 Pharma 50
    • 2021 Pharma 50