Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) to existing antibiotics has already reached a silent ‘pandemic’ stage. Sewage sample surveillance being carried out in some of the major cities has been giving sufficient indication of the same, according to director of Tata Institute for Genetics and Society (TIGS) Rakesh Mishra.
“We are seeing a trend in the sewage samples. AMR can be identified very accurately even when there is under-reporting at the clinical level as everyone uses the toilet and bugs will reach the sewage system in some form or the other,” pointed out Dr. Mishra, who is also the former director of CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB).
Highlights
- A huge effort is being put into wastewater surveillance in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Delhi for the past one-and-a-half years.
- Its major objective is to establish robust protocols, indigenise required reagents/consumables, build the capacity for human resource/training and spread awareness
- Dr. Mishra says a common website is on the anvil for better communication. It can also serve as a public outreach to educate the people and avoid misuse of antibiotics
