Genomic Fingerprinting Enteric and Antimicrobial Resistant Bacteria at Hygiene and One Health Interface for Tracking Disease Transmission in Ethiopia
Principal Investigator: Dr. Fanta Desissa Gutema – RGHI Fellow
Diarrhoeal diseases and treatment failure due to drug-resistant bacteria are common health problems globally. Ethiopia has one of the highest burdens of diarrhoeal diseases. It is caused mainly by enteric microorganisms.
Animal farming within the household environment can contaminate household environmental fomites such as water, soil, and surfaces with animal faeces carrying germs. Children living in developing countries are commonly exposed to these agents/bacteria due to widespread contamination of the environment linked with limited access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene services. In Ethiopia, studies reported occurrence of different bacteria in animals, environments, foods. However, information on which pathways contribute most to transmission of enteric and drug resistant bacteria between animals and children is lacking.
This study is aimed at identifying the transmission pathways of common diarrhoea-causing bacteria namely E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria monocytogenes from animals to infants by performing laboratory analysis of samples collected from cattle, water, soil, infant foods, caregiver’s hands, and infants from selected households having infants and animals in urban and peri-urban neighbourhoods of Bishoftu, Ethiopia. Information on hygienic practices at the household level (eg, during preparation of foods), animal waste management and antimicrobial drug usage is also being collected. Based on this information, the relationship of enteric and antimicrobial resistant bacteria among the different sources is compared and the transmission pathways from animal to infants are identified.
The research results are intended to be published in scientific journals and, more importantly, presented to stakeholders, including the local community in Ethiopia, to guide the design of effective and feasible community-based interventions for preventing the transmission of enteric and drug-resistant bacteria from animals to humans in Ethiopia.
