A new study by icddr,b has found widespread colonisation of drug-resistant pathogens among newborns admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) at alarming levels.
The findings were shared at a dissemination seminar titled “Addressing Antimicrobial Resistance in Bangladesh: Insights from the ARCH Study” at its Mohakhali Campus in the city.
Fahmida Chowdhury, Associate Scientist and Lead of the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Research Unit at icddr,b, presented findings from the multi-country Antibiotic Resistance in Communities and Hospitals (ARCH) study, supported by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and The Task Force for Global Health (TFGH).
The ARCH study is the first to systematically investigate colonisation of AMR pathogens in both communities and hospitals.
Colonisation refers to the presence of bacteria in or on the body without causing immediate disease, yet these bacteria can spread and later trigger infections that are extremely difficult to treat.
ARCH 1.0, conducted in 2019, uncovered high levels of resistant bacteria among both healthy individuals in communities and hospitalised patients. ARCH 2.0 has provided further insights into how AMR affects patients in critical care, newborns, and adults.
In neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), 81 per cent (342/423) of admitted newborns were colonised with carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, the top-priority pathogen identified by the World Health Organization.
More than half of these neonates (70 per cent, 185) acquired CR-Kpn after 48 hours in hospital, confirming the risk of hospital-acquired colonisation. In adult ICUs, 60 per cent of patients carried CRE, and colonised patients faced higher chances of developing infections and longer hospital stays.
The study also tracked mother–child pairs to understand transmission and long-term risks. Around 40 per cent of infants were colonised with CRE and nearly 90 per cent with ESCrE within their first year of life.
Babies who stayed in hospital for more than 72 hours after delivery showed the highest burden of colonisation. By their first birthday, more than 80 per cent of these infants had received at least one course of antibiotics, raising concerns about the impact of early antibiotic exposure on microbiome health and resistance patterns.
On the occasion, Prof Dr Md Sayedur Rahman, Special Assistant, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), who joined online as chief guest, said, “I find the findings extremely alarming yet valuable, and they will help us fine-tune our strategies and interventions.”
Dr Tahmeed Ahmed, Executive Director of icddr,b, in his remarks said, “We have successfully controlled the sale of sedative drugs without prescription in the past. We must impose the same restrictions on stronger antibiotics to limit misuse and contain the epidemic of antimicrobial resistance.”
Brian Wheeler, Acting Country Director, US CDC, said, “This is a complex problem that is global in nature, and the solutions are multifaceted. Each comes with a cost, which makes this not only a scientific issue but also a matter of health economics and policy.”
