Carried out jointly by the teams from the Microbiology section of the Hygiene and Environment Laboratory at the  Centre Pasteur in Cameroon and those from the Pasteur Institute in Paris, a study on antibiotic resistance has revealed worrying prevalence of multi-resistant Escherichia coli strains in the city of Douala.

Based on an integrated ‘One Health’ approach, this research relied on the analysis of human, animal, and environmental samples to better understand the spread of resistant bacteria and the mechanisms behind antibiotic resistance. The results provide an important scientific foundation to strengthen monitoring, guide control strategies, and inform national public health policies.

The results are alarming

Human sector: More than 54% of pregnant women were carriers of resistant E. coli;
Animal sector: 70% of chickens were contaminated with multi-resistant bacteria;
Environmental sector: up to 93% of wastewater contained these resistant bacteria.
– High-risk bacterial clones (ST131: in pregnant women) and ST10 (in chickens) have been identified. In addition, resistance to last-resort antibiotics like carbapenems has been observed in some of the isolated bacteria.

The major contribution of genomics has been to reveal what’s behind this resistance

Genes capable of coding for enzymes that break down so-called last-resort antibiotics, the role of plasmids—real ‘vehicles’ of genetic transmission—and clues about the circulation of the same bacterial strains between humans, animals, and the environment.

What this study teaches us: antibiotic resistance is a collective threat. It requires integrated monitoring, responsible use of antibiotics in human and animal health, and better hygiene and sanitation practices.

Understanding resistance mechanisms through genomics means we can better anticipate their spread and strengthen the fight against this global threat.

Check out the full article:https://academic.oup.com/jacamr/article/8/5/dlag194/8779672