The ubiquitous seagull may be responsible for a gruesome array of potentially lethal infections in humans, according to research by Murdoch University. Australian silver gulls are riddled with antimicrobial-resistant bacteria that can bring on anything from urinary tract infections to sepsis, researchers have found, with pathogens not dissimilar to those that threaten the lives of patients in hospitals and nursing homes. Watch the video above about a fast food outlet using hologram technology to try to scare off chip-scavenging seagulls As they hop, squawk and swoop their way across our parks and beaches, it turns out the creatures are actually acting as "ecological sponges" says Murdoch University antimicrobial researcher Dr Sam Abraham. And the problem is widespread around Australia. “We have earmarked them as a potential reservoir for agents that may cause human disease,” he said. “This is the first comprehensive study establishing that seagulls across Australia are carriers […]