Antimicrobial news

September 2017

Prioritising Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR): Establishing an Interdisciplinary International Research Partnership to Tackle an Evolving Global Health Threat

The AMR-IRPN network is a research partnership between six institutions that provides a cross-disciplinary approach to one of the most pressing global health threats of our time. 

Established in 2016, IRPN works across several countries, and fosters a number of external connections that will allow the team to develop a global surveillance network to better understand and respond to the emergence of AMR. 
The expertise within the network includes molecular microbiology, clinical microbiology and infectious diseases, as well as international relations, policy, anthropology and development studies. 

Following the initial network meeting in October 2016 at BSMS, a second meeting took place in in Cairo, Egypt on 25 & 26 July 2017 with the aim of reviewing the joint research goals, foster South-South collaboration and share knowledge and expertise in tackling AMR regionally. Dr. Leena Al- Hassan, one of the architects of the network, and Professor Melanie Newport from the Global Health and Infection department at BSMS were both present at the meeting. In addition to capacity building, the network will now focus on carrying out 6-month pilot projects that will fall into two broad categories:

1. The first will look at the molecular epidemiology of gram-negative (GN) resistance in Cairo and Sudan and the role of MRSA in the intensive care unit.
2. The second category of work will focus on developing antibiotic stewardship and infection prevention control strategies in two North African countries including evaluating the need for increased educational resources.

The implementation of the projects will be discussed at the follow up IRPN meeting in January 2018, and the results of the pilot studies will be discussed at an IRPN meeting in Summer 2018, followed by consolidation of data and finalisation of larger funding application to develop this work further, which may include expansion to the community.

Workshop on Horizontal Gene Transfer and Mobile Genetic Elements as Vehicles for Transmission of Antibiotic Resistance in Gram-negative bacteria 

Leena additionally held a workshop at the NCI in Cairo on mobile genetic elements and their role in horizontal gene transfer of resistance in Gram-negative bacteria as part of the capacity building initiative of the network. The workshop was attended by 25 participants from different universities around Egypt. 

BSUH clinical microbiology team to provide training in Cairo University

A new sequencer (MiSeq) will be installed in Cairo University, and the microbiology team there require training on using the machine, reagents, and interpretation of the results, which will be provided by the clinical microbiology team at BSUH (Kevin Cole and Dr James Price). Training exchange visits will take place between researchers at Cairo University and BSUH from October 2017.

Further capacity building initiatives for the AMR- IPRN include:

• Training on MiSeq set up (first exchange visit to be held in BSUH in October 2017), to be followed by a trip to Cairo in December 2017
• Sequencing workshop at the NCI in November 2017 by Dr Paul Higgins 
• Training of laboratory staff on manual microbiology laboratory methodology in Sudan
• Workshop on AMR for junior/early career doctors and healthcare workers in Egypt. 

November 2016

Pioneering Study of Potentially Deadly Hospital Germ 

A new study by Prof Martin Llewelyn and Dr James Price has been published in Lancet Infectious Diseases this month. The study has been looking at patients who pick up Staphylococcus aureus, known as Staph aureus, in hospital to identify where it comes from. Staph aureus is a bacterium which lives harmlessly all over the body and which despite not causing problems for most, can cause serious infections among people in hospital. Hospital staff work hard to stop patients catching Staph aureus infections, particularly those caused by strains that have become resistant to commonly used antibiotics (such as methicillin resistant Staph aureus or MRSA). Despite these efforts hospital patients are still catching the infection.

Using ‘whole-genome sequencing’ (WGS) the research team compared genetic codes from germs for similarities and to determine if one person picked up Staph aureus from another or not - one theory being that staff brought the bacteria into the hospital and spread it to patients. The results were surprising as it was not possible to identify where most patients picked up Staph aureus. This changes our understanding of how infections are spread in hospitals.  

This project is part of a wider collection of work being undertaken by Prof Martin Llewelyn’s and BSUH Consultant Dr John Paul’s research group in which WGS is revealing new insights into other medically important organisms including gonorrhoea. 

May 2016

9th Scientific Meeting of the African Society of Human Genetics 

The Wellcome Trust Brighton and Sussex Centre for Global Health Research was well represented at the recent ninth Scientific Meeting of the African Society of Human Genetics. Prof Melanie Newport, Director of the Centre and President of the Society, chaired a session at the meeting, which was held in Dakar, Senegal.

Three members of the Centre's collaborating centres also presented at the meeting.

Tewodros Gebresilase, a PhD student from the Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Ethiopia, won second prize for best oral presentation by a young investigator; he spoke about research that highlighted the importance of exploring community concerns around ethical issues when genetic research is undertaken in low-income settings.

Jonas Arnaud Kengne Ouafo, a PhD Student at the University of Buea, Cameroon, presented a poster on his research on the genetics of podoconiosis; and Ashraf Osman Mohamed, a Research Assistant from the Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum, gave an oral presentation on his research investigating the genetics of epilepsy in Sudan.