Researchers examine antibiotics resistance threat

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is funding a broad research effort designed to assess elements surrounding the growing threat of antibiotic resistance.

Officials said the CDC recently awarded contracts to Amy Pruden and Marc Edwards, professors in the Charles Edward Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech University, to study antibiotic resistance in recycled water and plumbing.

The scope of work falls under one of the CDC’s 10 major research areas of interest surrounding disease control, officials said, adding both Pruden and Edwards would focus their efforts on antibiotic resistant pathogens and resistance genes in water systems.

Pruden is leading an effort to examine the issue in the context of wastewater reclamation, also known as water recycling or reuse, and Edwards serves as principal investigator for a project examining the plumbing and potential for pathogens to colonize the drinking water systems in hospitals, which face an added risk of infecting susceptible populations.

Researchers said there is a need to identify which disinfectants are most effective while also avoiding the possibility that the disinfectants themselves kill off the competition for resistant bacteria and promote survival of more resilient antibiotic resistant bacteria.

The work will also involve comparing chlorine, chloramine, chlorine dioxide, and copper-silver regarding their ability to control pathogens and biofilm in a range of pipe materials including copper, plastic, and iron.