R.I. Hospital receives $520K CDC grant for research into drug-resistant bacteria

RHODE ISLAND Hospital recently received a $519,344 grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to research a new method to fight antibiotic resistance.  / COURTESY RHODE ISLAND HOSPITAL
RHODE ISLAND Hospital recently received a $519,344 grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to research a new method to fight antibiotic resistance. / COURTESY RHODE ISLAND HOSPITAL

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island Hospital has been awarded a $519,344 grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study the susceptibility of people to drug-resistant bacteria who have been exposed to antibiotics, the hospital announced Tuesday.
Researchers will study the microbiome of individuals. The microbiome is a community of naturally occurring microbes in and on the body, including living on the skin and in the gut, mouth, respiratory and urinary tract, according to the release.
“In the last decade, the human microbiome has been recognized as fundamental towards preventing diseases, including diabetes and obesity,” lead researcher Dr. Erika D’Agata, an infectious diseases physician at Rhode Island Hospital and The Miriam Hospital and associate professor of medicine at the Brown University Division of Infectious Diseases, said in the statement. “A healthy microbiome is also important in preventing the acquisition and spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria, a major public health threat, as antibiotic exposure substantially alters the microbiome and leads to an increased risk of acquiring these resistant bacteria.”
D’Agata will use the grant to study rectal microbiome of a large cohort of nursing home residents that have been exposed to antimicrobials.
“Understanding the characteristics of patients’ microbiome disruption indices will have important implications toward developing innovative infection prevention strategies,” D’Agata said.
The grant is part of more than $14 million awarded by the CDC nationwide to 34 projects targeting new approaches to fighting antibiotic resistance.
“To protect people, their microbiomes and the effectiveness of antibiotics, this project is an example of applied research that has the potential to produce innovative public health approaches to better combat antibiotic resistance,” Dr. Clifford McDonald, associate director of science for CDC’s Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, said in the statement.

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