Inanimate surfaces in hospital settings are among the most critical factors in the emergence and spread of nosocomial infections including neonatal sepsis, which is associated with increased mortality in low- and middle-income countries.
More...Inanimate surfaces in hospital settings are among the most critical factors in the emergence and spread of nosocomial infections including neonatal sepsis, which is associated with increased mortality in low- and middle-income countries. During the BARNARDS study we identified bacterial species carrying antibiotic resistance genes colonising neonatal wards in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, and South Africa. We determined which hospital surfaces were most likely to become colonised by antimicrobial resistant bacteria, to help provide evidence for the improvement of infection prevention and control guidelines.
The presence of four b-lactamase genes was determined by PCR, confirming the presence of extended-spectrum b-lactamases and carbapenemases Gram-negative bacteria carrying these ARGs were identified by MALDI coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry and further analysed by whole genome sequencing using a hybridisation of both Illumina MiSeq and Oxford Nanopore Technologies MinION. Less...