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Drug-resistant bacteria’s genome sequencing begins in Maharashtra
It is being done at BJ Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital (SGH), Pune, Dr DY Patil Medical College Hospital and Research Centre (DPU), Pune, and P D Hinduja Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Mumbai.
Pune: In a major step to combat the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), Johns Hopkins University (JHU) has begun whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of carbapenem-resistant bacteria in India under its Global Action in Healthcare Network–Antimicrobial Resistance in India (GAIHN-AMR) study, said health officials on Monday.
The multi-country study, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), USA, is being implemented in India at three major hospitals in Maharashtra — BJ Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital (SGH), Pune, Dr DY Patil Medical College Hospital and Research Centre (DPU), Pune, and P D Hinduja Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Mumbai. India is among seven countries participating in the project, said the officials.
Carbapenem antibiotics are considered last-resort drugs for treating severe bacterial infections. Rising resistance to these antibiotics poses a serious challenge, as treatment options become extremely limited, expensive and often ineffective. The study focuses on understanding how widespread carbapenem resistance is and why it is emerging.
To better understand how resistance develops and spreads, the study has now started conducting whole-genome sequencing at these sites, including BJMC-Sassoon General Hospital. Genome sequencing allows scientists to identify the specific genetic changes that make bacteria resistant to carbapenem.
“Once organisms become resistant to carbapenem, treatment becomes extremely difficult, as the remaining antibiotics are very limited and often expensive. It is crucial to understand whether this resistance is spreading and how,” said Dr Bharat Randive, chief study coordinator for Johns Hopkins University and Indian sites.
The whole-genome sequencing will help identify new or unusual resistance mechanisms and help the researchers better understand known mechanisms. Through genome sequencing, researchers will determine whether infections in different patients are caused by the same strain or by different sources, and identify common, rare or new resistance genes circulating in Indian hospitals.
Dr Randive added: “The study is important to help develop future antibiotics and also guide the current therapy for patients.”
According to health officials, the objective of the project is to strengthen surveillance at selected hospitals and assess the prevalence and patterns of carbapenem resistance. Under the programme, researchers are analysing clinical samples from admitted patients to identify the type of organism causing infection and determine whether it is resistant to carbapenem.
Dr Rajesh Karyakarte, principal investigator for BJMC-SGH, said, “Genome sequencing helps us understand which genes are responsible for resistance, whether the infections in different patients are linked, and whether they are coming from the same source or multiple sources.”
He further said that with very few effective antibiotics left for carbapenem-resistant infections, understanding how resistance is developing and spreading is critical. “This study will provide scientific evidence that can help protect patients and strengthen hospital infection control,” he added.
As part of the surveillance that began in 2023 at these three sites, the prevalence of carbapenem resistance was initially assessed in clinical samples (patients admitted in ICU). Through testing clinical samples of admitted patients, the organisms causing infections and whether they are resistant to carbapenem were found. Samples of over 6,000 admitted patients from three hospitals have been collected and are under analysis, the officials said.
Furthermore, the second component of the study focuses on colonisation surveillance in intensive care units (ICUs). Colonisation refers to the presence of bacteria in the body without causing disease, but which can spread to other patients, particularly in hospital settings. Researchers have studied colonisation in more than 2,000 ICU patients (at three sites) by testing rectal swab samples to assess how many patients are carrying carbapenem-resistant organisms. Such bacteria can spread rapidly due to inadequate hygiene or sanitation and later cause serious infections, they warned.
