Research finds bacteria resistant to antibiotics in hospital wastewater system

In a partnership with University Hospital Limerick and Queen's University Belfast, the UL School of Medicine has completed an extensive and unique study that saw researchers dive deep into hospital wastewater to find a reservoir of bacteria resistant to antibiotics., provides new insight and is the first study of this scale to look at wastewater and to correlate what is found there with outbreaks of infection.

In the unique new study, led by Professor Colum Dunne, Head of University of Limerick's School of Medicine with researchers from University Hospital Limerick and the School of Pharmacy in Queen's University Belfast, largescale genomic and microbiology analysis was completed on UHL's wastewater system.

By also processing samples from patients who were infected while admitted to the hospital ward, it was possible to confirm that the bacteria that infected them were very likely present in the wastewater system. This work was instigated in the context of growing acknowledgment that the presence of AMR bacteria and antimicrobial resistance genes in the hospital environment and its associated wastewater poses a potential cross-transmission threat to patients, health care staff and the public in the wider community setting.

Professor Dunne emphasized the importance of working across disciplines, and highlighted the success seen here by combining Limerick's medical andDr. Stephen Kelly, co-author and Lecturer in Pharmaceutical Microbiomics at QUB's School of Pharmacy agreed.

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