Investigating the driving forces and spread of antibiotic resistance: the case of marine aquaculture in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa
We will investigate the local economic role of, and need for antibiotics and produce a cost-benefit analysis. We will map the flow of antibiotics from production to use in order to identify points in the value chain where restrictions would be fair and effective. Further, we will use metagenomics to identify genetic fingerprints of the ARG pool from four aquaculture sites. The spread of specific ARG patterns are hypothesised to be linked to the dispersal of phytoplankton and will be projected by oceanographic connectivity models and verified with repeated sampling at different geographic scales.
Project supported by VR (3 MSEK) for the period 2017-2019.
The principal participants in this project are: Anna Godhe and Per Knutsson (CARe), Indrani Karunasagar, Nitte University, Indien, Ramchandra Bhat, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Indien, Arvind Singh, Physical Research Laboratory, Indien, Rashmi Narayana, TA Pai Management Institute, Indien.
The use of antibiotics in aquaculture is a hazard associated with the development and spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) in marine environments. Bacteria are carriers of ARGs and associated with planktonic organisms, and studies of plankton and oceanic circulation may provide new insight into the spread of resistance. However, to establish fair and effective governance of antibiotic use, especially in developing countries where aquaculture production is an important source of livelihood and revenue, it is also necessary to know the driving forces behind the usage. Our aim is to produce a synthesis, based on biophysical and socioeconomic factors, for policy recommendations for Asia and East Africa. The synthesis will be based on empirical results and we will address where and on which level remedies to prevent antibiotic resistance spread are most effective. More specifically, we will investigate the local economic role of, and need for antibiotics and produce a cost-benefit analysis. We will map the flow of antibiotics from production to use in order to identify points in the value chain where restrictions would be fair and effective. Further, we will use metagenomics to identify genetic fingerprints of the ARG pool from four aquaculture sites. The spread of specific ARG patterns are hypothesised to be linked to the dispersal of phytoplankton and will be projected by oceanographic connectivity models and verified with repeated sampling at different geographic scales.