Emergence of the XDR S. Sonnei outbreak in the United Kingdom. A cgMLST dendrogram (root mean) of clinical isolates from the UK (n= 2820) and genomic subtype references (n= 120) with scale bar indicating distance in cgMLST alleles. Metadata pathways show the patient and genome traits of the isolates colored according to the studded keys. Specifically, from the inside out, patient data includes: year of isolation, patient gender, age range, and travel history (for UK isolation only), with missing/unavailable/unidentified data shown in white. Genomic features appear next: lineage isolates, BAPS clustering (for isolates belonging to t10.377 group only), presence of mutations in the quinolone resistance determining region (QRDR*3 denotes all three canonical mutations; Jira_D87G, Jira_S83L f Park _S80I) and mph(a) f BlochCTX-M Genes, where white indicates the absence of a gene. credit: Nature Communications (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37672-w
Researchers at the University of Liverpool are working to tackle bacteria that are increasingly resistant to antibiotics.
The UK Health Security Agency has reported an increase in the UK in this sexually transmitted bacterium, which has also been identified in countries across Europe. The bacteria, called Shigella sonnei, can cause severe diarrhea, and the strain of interest is resistant to the majority of antibiotics recommended to treat it.
Experts in the University’s National Institutes of Health and Social Care Research’s Gastrointestinal Infectious Health Protection Unit led an international collaboration of scientists and public health professionals from the UK, France, Belgium, Australia and the USA. Together, they investigated the genetic makeup and international spread of the bacteria in order to better understand the drivers behind the epidemic and to predict and prevent future outbreaks.
By analyzing bacteria samples found in all collaborating countries, the team developed insights into this antimicrobial-resistant outbreak, which disproportionately affects gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM).
Louis Mason, PhD, medical microbiologist. Student, University of Liverpool, said, “Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an urgent global public health crisis, and our work studying this sexually transmitted intestinal infection has played a key role in understanding and addressing the issue of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Through this work we have learned about the power of AMR. Collaboration and our progress How through collaboration and sharing of genetic data can we better detect emerging disease threats around the world.”
Kate Baker, Professor of Applied Microbial Genomics at the University of Liverpool, says, “Combining pathogen genomic data from various international surveillance systems allows us to capture the spread of new strains much earlier than previously possible. We saw this with COVID too and now we are We need to build on this to make the most of pathogen genomics to address antimicrobial resistance.”
The paper has been published in the journal Nature Communications.
more information:
Lewis CE Mason et al, Evolution and international spread of widespread drug-resistant Shigella sonii, Nature Communications(2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37672-w
the quote: Work on Tackle Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria (2023, May 2) Retrieved May 2, 2023 from https://phys.org/news/2023-05-tackle-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria.html
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