Improved methodology for detection of antibiotic resistance mechanisms from wastewater for population surveillance
APPLICATION NOTE SKU 10XXX SKU 44XXX
Introduction
Antibiotic resistant bacteria, which harbor antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes, pose a significant public health threat. For these bacteria, traditional means of antibiotic treatment are no longer effective. As such, it is imperative to monitor the prevalence of these bacteria. Recently, wastewater surveillance has been recognized as a complement to population testing that can identify increases in the presence of AMR genes in communities. However, the use of molecular testing methods is challenging because many genetic mechanisms contribute to AMR, with the most common being β-Lactamases. To be an effective surveillance strategy, these tests must be designed to identify a broad range of targets associated with AMR, and the methods must be sensitive given the larger wastewater sampling volumes used for analysis. The data described here demonstrate methods for improved sample processing and a head-to-head comparison of the ability of commercially available real-time PCR-based assays to determine AMR burden in wastewater samples.
