Holiday-makers are at risk of picking up and bringing home superbugs, according to a study looking at the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) worldwide.

Drug-resistant infections are already responsible for some 700,000 deaths globally each year, but it is estimated that this figure could rise to 10 million annually by 2050 if left unchecked.

The report, published by the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy (CDDEP), found that tourists are contributing to the spread of AMR across international borders – with as many as 88 per cent of unwell tourists returning to the UK from India infected with drug resistant bacteria.

Although AMR has been found on every continent – including the most pristine places on earth – the prevalence of drug resistant bacteria varies dramatically.

Tourists who visit areas with high levels of AMR, such as South and Southeast Asia and the Middle East, are likely to be exposed to highly resistant strains of bacteria and can then take the infection home.