UK Freshwater Quality Programme Webinar July 2025

Bacterial Diversity and Antimicrobial Resistance in the Gastrointestinal Tracts of River Swimmers in the United Kingdom

Presented by Elitsa Penkova, University of Exeter

Elitsa is a PhD candidate focusing on understanding the public health risks from exposure to antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) in rivers and other freshwater environments.

Her research builds upon previous work on coastal waters which found that recreational activities, such as bathing, are associated with an increased risk of exposure to and colonisation by ARB.

Elitsa’s current project is funded by NERC GW4+ DTP and is based at the University of Exeter, with additional project partners including the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, and the UK Health Security Agency, with further support from the Environmental Agency.

This webinar is one of a series on a range of related topics organised by the Champions team for the NERC Freshwater Quality programme. The webinars are designed to help promote communications and interactions between researchers, the policy community, business and practitioners who can all shape future UK freshwater quality.

Each webinar includes a 30 minute presentation with time for questions afterwards. The presentations are recorded  -  watch the up-to-date playlist here.

To receive joining details for this event, please register for the mailing list of the UK Freshwater Quality Programme or email freshwater@leeds.ac.uk.