Scientists track superbug infections across Europe

Scientists have shown for the first time that MRSA (meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and other antibiotic-resistant superbug infections can be tracked across Europe, according to a study recently published in the journal mBio.

Researchers at Imperial College London and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute worked with a European network representing doctors in 450 hospitals in 25 countries to successfully interpret and visualize the spread of drug-resistant MRSA. The team combined whole-genome sequencing with a web-based system.

MRSA and other superbugs are a life-threatening problem for all hospitals across Europe with an estimated 400,000 cases per year and 25,000 deaths from resistant, hospital-acquired infections.

To enable infection control teams across Europe to easily share information and to form a dynamic picture of the rise and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, researchers developed Microreact.org, a web-based visualization and mapping tool.

"Drug resistance is a growing problem both in Europe and across the world and doctors need fast and accurate information to stop epidemics," said Dr David Aanensen from Imperial College London, who is one of the authors of the study.

The research team read the whole genomes of Staphylococcus aureus samples to identify which bugs are related to each other, and which are resistant to antibiotics. Using this approach, they were not only able to show the rise and spread of MRSA across Europe, but also provide a quicker way to identify new hotspots of resistance.

"Our study demonstrates the potential for combining whole-genome sequencing with internet-based visualization tools to enable public health workers and doctors to see how an epidemic is spreading and make swift decisions to end it," said Aanensen. Endit