Life Sciences & Biotechnology
Title : | Exploring the missing link in transmission dynamics of antimicrobial resistome with environment in fruit bats: the primitive but successful species of the ecosystem |
Area of research : | Life Sciences & Biotechnology |
Principal Investigator : | Dr. Indranil samanta , West Bengal University Of Animal & Fishery sciences |
Timeline Start Year : | 2023 |
Timeline End Year : | 2026 |
Contact info : | isamanta76@gmail.com |
Equipments : | Glass Double Distillation Unit |
Details
Executive Summary : | Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a life threatening, silent and serious global health problem. At its current trend, AMR is estimated to kill one person in every threeâseconds and if no urgent measure is taken, it would cause10 million deaths and Us $ 100 trillion economic loss every year by 2050.As per the recent estimate, the human mortality (1.2 million death in a year) due to AMR has already crossed the projection. World health organization (WHO) identified eight pathogens relevant to AMR, among them five are pathogenic or commensal bacteria. The AMR determinants are transferred through horizontal gene transfer between the commensal and/or pathogens present in the environment, livestock, companion/aquatic animals, and human following a complex transmission cycle where wildlife also plays a pivotal role. Few studies in wild terrestrial mammals and migratory birds have elucidated their role in evolution and spread of antibiotic resistome. Bats are the unique non-terrestrial wild mammals which are the primitive but most successful species to continue to live in the earth due to their long lifespan, capacity to colonize in different ecological niches and ability to fly. In India, the state West Bengal has the highest number of bat species reported till date. Generally, bats do not come into direct contact with antimicrobials but they may act as reservoir due to acquisition of antimicrobial resistant bacteria from human, agricultural settings / livestock and aquatic sources. The scanty documentation is there about the role of bats in acquisition and spreading of AMR throughout the world but the gap exists in the data exploring the role of Indian fruit bats in the environmental antimicrobial resistome. The proposed project will generate baseline data about the prevalence of EsBL-producing bacteria in fruit bats which is scanty in the literature throughout the world and not reported so far from India. Finding the probable sources of the EsBL-bacteria in the associated environment of the roosting site will explore the missing epidemiological link between livestock, human and environment in AMR transmission dynamics. The phenotypical resistance pattern of the isolates can predict about the functional status of the resistance genes in bats. The immunodominant protein antigens present in the EsBL-producing isolates of bat origin will be identified. Finally a strategy will be developed to prevent environmental contamination with EsBL-producing bacteria of bat origin. The strategy will be disseminated to the local community residing near the roosting site to make the awareness about preservation of bats or the roosting site as well as the precautions to be taken to prevent the transmission of zoonotic pathogens with or without AMR determinants. |
Co-PI: | Prof. siddhartha Narayan Joardar, West Bengal University Of Animal & Fishery sciences, Kolkata,West Bengal-700037 |
Total Budget (INR): | 29,86,880 |
Organizations involved