MICROBE 2018 recap - Jumping back into AMR for a moment...

As you can probably tell I attempted to hop into as many AMR sessions as possible as that is a primary interest of mine...

So before we finish off this blog series on some ancient infectious disease and microbial ecology (upcoming...) let's hop back in briefly to Dr. Lance Price's talk and hit some of his highlighted points.

Lance Price, George Washington University
Expanding our view of zoonotic pathogens: How genomics is revealing insidious host jumps and AMR transmissions

• So we've heard a lot about E. coli ST131 this meeting - it's broad host range, extensive resistance and wide geographic dispersal globally.
• So in thinking about these AMR pathogens spread particularly in E. coli were learn this a lot of overlap of these E. coli STs (isolates) within the meat market and clinic. They have their own clusters, but there is also overlap.
• Through phylogenetic analysis of different STs of E. coli we find both human and 'meat' clade ancestors suggesting independent host jumps.
• ST10 and ST38: ancestor in meat, yet found in clinical isolates
• ST12 found to have humans as the ancestor but has been found in food animal production isolates
• But it's not just limited to human <> meat...enter poultry, APEC and the ColV plasmid
• ST95 has a human ancestor, has been found in meat and isolates have been obtained from poultry falling into ST95 characterized as APEC (Avian Pathogenic E. coli). So there is potential for human isolates moving into poultry, acquiring plasmid then spilling back over into humans and meat.
• ST117 has been an emerging APEC problem in poultry but there is evidence of spillover into humans and in food production animals (meat) and is causing sporadic spread.

So policy? Given the expanding issue of these isolates many with AMR in our food animal production line... what is being done?

California has now restricted use of antibiotics in animals.
(the actual senate bill if you are interested, SB27)

• This is all good but in the event that these jumps have already occurred and establishment of these AMR strains has happened in humans. Legislation of this sort will have little effect.
• BUT it does have the potential, if followed long enough, for 'washing out' of sporadic spreaders.

From post about Canada's growing problem of antibiotic resistant bacteria being found in meat
and there being less food inspection agents. (https://eatinggreener.wordpress.com/tag/antibiotics/)