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Vertical transmission of antimicrobial resistance in neonatal sepsis

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Ashley Styczynski with Faridpur Medical College Hospital (FMCH) Team
Ashley Styczynski with Faridpur Medical College Hospital (FMCH) Team
Training nurses for neonatal AMR study
Training nurses for neonatal AMR study
Sampling a cat in the hospital ward
Sampling a cat in the hospital ward
 

Evaluating the role of vertical transmission of antimicrobial resistance in neonatal sepsis

 

Objective

The goal of this work is to understand transmission pathways of antimicrobial resistant organisms that lead to neonatal sepsis.

 

Rationale

Why we care about this

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health threat that disproportionately affects low-income countries and leads to substantial neonatal mortality. Accordingly, an ongoing study of childhood mortality in Bangladesh has revealed a common cause of death among neonates is sepsis from multi-drug-resistant organisms (MDROs).

Why we see the knowledge we are generating as strategic

It remains unclear to what extent neonatal infections from MDROs are being caused by exposure to maternal community-acquired flora and/or by exposure to the hospital environment. Understanding the relative contributions of maternal colonization and hospital exposure is necessary for designing effective interventions to interrupt the spread of MDROs to newborns.

What stage on the Stairway of Research contribution to problem solving

Stage 2 – Explicate the causal paths that generates the problem

 

Project dates

July 2019 – ongoing

 

Stage of work

What has been accomplished so far within the project

We have enrolled a cohort of mother/baby pairs to assess for colonization patterns around the time of birth and have collected data on possible risk factors for colonization with resistant organisms.

What are we focusing on now

We are in the process of completing hospital-based sample collection and will begin enrolling a cohort of mother/baby pairs who have undergone home-based delivery.

 

People

Primary Contact:  Ashley Styczynski

Stanford University

.   Steve Luby, Professor of Medicine

.   Ashley Styczynski, Infectious Disease Fellow

.   Eric Foote, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics

ICDDR,B

.   Shahana Parveen, Assistant Scientist

.   Badrul Amin, Assistant Scientist

.   Farzana Islam, Deputy Project Coordinator

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

.   Emily Gurley, Associate Scientist

Faridpur Medical College Hospital

.   Abu Faisal Pervez, Assistant Professor of Neonatology

.   Dilruba Zeba, Associate Professor of Gynaecology and Obstetrics

Washington State University

.   Mohammad Aminul Islam, Assistant Professor

 

Funding

Fogarty International CenterGlobal Health Equity Scholars (GHES) Program: GHES Fellowship

Thrasher Research Fund

Award: Thrasher Research

Stanford Global Health Seed Grant