Research project on antibiotic resistance in the Danube starts soon!

Research project on antibiotic resistance in the Danube starts soon!

When it comes to the health of waters, the team around Alexander Kirschner is now serious at the Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology at MedUni Vienna. On July 14, 2025, the Joint Danube Survey 5 (JDS5) starts, which deals with faecal pollution and the spread of antibiotic resistance in the Danube. Rehearsals are removed from 70 places along the Danube and significant feeders in cities such as Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Turnu-Severin and Calarasi. According to Juli 2025/joint-danube-survey-5-startet/"> MedUni Vienna, a total of 1,000 scientists are involved in this research project.

The microbiology team also includes other researchers in addition to Kirschner: inside the MedUni Vienna and the Karl Landsteiner private university as well as from the University of Belgrade. Since 2019, the research group Water Mikrobiology has been dealing with the faecal propagation routes of antibiotic resistance in rivers, supported by promoting 406,000 euros from the Science Fund FWF. It is about more than just a local investigation - a report on the ecological, chemical and microbiological state of the Danube should be available until early 2027

The problem of antibiotic resistance

But why should we be interested in this study? The results indicate that resistant bacteria are increasingly accumulating in biofilms, which consist of algae, mushrooms and microorganisms. This hypothesis is supported by current research that shows that the stress is heterogeneous. In the Danube in Austria, the stress is moderate, which is comparable in countries with high hygiene standards. However, worrying values ​​were measured, such as in Budapest, where the burden exceeds the values ​​from Serbia. Resistant germs can therefore also be detected in our domestic waters, warn experts from Scilog .

A study by the Karl Landsteiner Private University and ICC Water & Health has also shown that human faecal entries are an important driver of the dissistance distribution. In a comprehensive analysis, over 5,000 bacterial isolates were tested and more than 100,000 antibiotic resistance tests were carried out. Results of the study show that smaller rivers with low water flow have a stronger correlation between heavy metals, antibiotic residues and resistant bacteria. The GWF Wasser emphasizes that a harmonized study design enables reliable comparability of the data from different rivers.

The upcoming steps

With the knowledge from JDS5, not only new knowledge is created, but also a basis for the EU-wide monitoring of antibiotic resistance from 2027. Targeted measures are essential to protect people and the environment. In this regard, the cooperation of many institutions and scientists will be decisive. It remains to be hoped that the data obtained helps to improve the condition of our water resources and not only protect them for the next generation, but also for many generations.