Hospital bacteria tracked better than ever before with new technique published on «The Lancet Microbe»
Prof. Davide Sassera, of the Department of Biology and Biotechnology of the University of Pavia, thanks to a collaboration with Researchers of Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, the University of Oslo and the Wellcome Sanger Institute developed a novel genomic technique that can simultaneously track the spread of multiple superbugs in hospitals, potentially improving the prevention and management of hospital infections. (Versione italiana del testo nell'articolo correlato)
The proof-of-concept study introduces a deep sequencing approach that captures all common infectious bacteria in a hospital at once. This method contrasts with current practices that require culturing and sequencing each pathogen separately, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive.
Published in «The Lancet Microbe», the study observed the bacterial population in multiple hospital intensive care units (ICUs) and wards during the first wave of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers identified the types of bacteria present in patients, including well-known antibiotic-resistant pathogens. The researchers propose that their technique could be integrated with existing hospital clinical surveillance systems to identify, track, and control the spread of multiple treatment-resistant bacteria. This is crucial as drug resistance is a pervasive issue in clinical settings, posing significant challenges for healthcare providers.
In the study, samples were collected from 256 patients hospitalized in Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo (Pavia, Italy), with bacteria found in the gut, upper airways, and lungs.
The analysis of 2,418 DNA samples identified 52 species of bacteria, with 66% comprising different strains of the seven most common hospital bacterial infections. The study found that ICU patients were consistently colonized by bacteria capable of causing severe disease, with clinically significant AMR genes present in at least 40% of cases. The researchers successfully mapped the spread of hospital bacteria over a five-week period, predicting which bacteria were likely to cause hospital-acquired infections.
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