Ball 6. Revenge of the Birds

Here's another one from the archives. I thought this had the right mix of soft science and news. Evidently I was wrong.

European researchers have found that feces dropped on beaches by gulls may be an important reservoir of drug-resistant E. coli that could pose a threat to human health. Although such a risk remains theoretical, officials in Oregon believe that a gull may be to blame for a recent case of contamination of the drinking water supply in that state.

The findings appeared in the January issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases.