Revealing Resistance: Sewage Surveillance Shows Promise in Global Health Fight

A study highlights the potential of sewage surveillance to combat antibiotic resistance by providing comprehensive data on the issue. Researchers from Virginia Tech found that this method is more effective than individual testing, revealing socio-economic factors and resistance gene diversity globally.

Sewage surveillance is emerging as a formidable tool in understanding and combating antibiotic resistance globally, a recent study has found. Researchers from Virginia Tech analyzed samples from 23 human and 60 urban sewage sources.

The research indicates that low- and middle-income communities are particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases. Sewage surveillance offers a more holistic view than individual antibiotic resistance testing, capturing genetic-level data that highlights the role of socio-economic factors, according to findings published in Nature Water.

The study underscores the importance of genomic surveillance systems as antibiotic resistance is considered a major global health threat. Enhanced sewage monitoring could thus significantly bolster efforts to protect public health, especially in socio-economically diverse regions.

(With inputs from agencies.)