Characterizing environmental reservoirs and their potential role in transmission of multi-drug resistant organisms (MDROs) in healthcare facilities in low- and middle-income countries. Bacteria

Our aim was to study environmental pathogen sources in resource-limited healthcare settings to elucidate transmission pathways of multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria. The project identified environmental reservoirs of MDR-GNB, elucidated transmission pathways between environment and patients, and informed infection prevention and control strategies in resource-limited settings. Spatial characterization of the microbiome of healthcare environments in two resource-limited hospitals was conducted using culture and culture-independent methods, cross-sectional surveys of high-touch surfaces and water sources were performed to detect MDR-GNB, and next-generation sequencing was conducted on isolates to characterize genetic relationships and transmission dynamics.