Mass gatherings, such as major sports events and festivals, bring together people from different regions and countries. One associated risk of such large gatherings is the potential spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a growing threat that undermines the effectiveness of treatments for infectious diseases.

However, it is a threat hard to assess due to the lack of a suitable baseline. The COVID-19 pandemic border closures provided an opportunity to establish a baseline level for antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) and show the impact of mass gatherings once travel resumed.

A study, led by Changzhi Wang, a Ph.D. student in Pei-Ying Hong’s group at KAUST, indicates that mass gatherings contribute to the spread of specific ARGs into local wastewater systems.

The presence of ARGs in wastewater is a potential cause of concern in Saudi Arabia. In its many rural areas, wastewater is collected in septic tanks that may be leaking into the surrounding environment, rather than being treated in centralized facilities.

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