Fraser Health and SFU are teaming up to try and revolutionize the way that scientists and health-care professionals tackle the problem of superbugs.<\/p>\n
These superbugs are strains of bacteria or other microbes that have become resistant to most medicines, making them incredibly hard to treat.<\/p>\n
A recent study published in The Lancet revealed that this is an increasing problem, with superbugs projected to kill more than 39 million people between 2025 and 2050.<\/p>\n
That’s why B.C. researchers have begun a pilot program that could help drastically improve the current understanding of how superbugs behave and spread throughout hospitals.<\/p>\n
This new piece of research is focused on the Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) infection, which Fraser Health explained is one of the most common causes of infectious diarrhea in hospitals and long-term care facilities.<\/p>\n
Fraser Health executive director for antimicrobial stewardship and infection control, Dr. Kevin Afra, said that this study involves samples from infected patients at Abbotsford Regional Hospital being sent to these scientists, who will then conduct whole-genome sequencing to better understand the genetic makeup of C. difficile.<\/p>\n
“We’re hoping to learn more about whether the C. difficile we see in our hospitals is transmitted from patient to patient or whether some patients are coming into hospitals colonized with C. difficile,” said Afra.<\/p>\n
“Our hope is that this project will inform future antimicrobial stewardship and infection prevention strategies to enhance patient safety across the region.”<\/p>\n
Studying this bacteria not only has major regional impacts, but worldwide implications as well, said SFU’s Dr. Will Hsiao.<\/p>\n
“Through advanced computational analysis of the sequence data, we are able to place the C. difficile from B.C. in the national and global context so clinicians can use these insights to improve local intervention strategies,” said Hsiao.<\/p>\n
This new study will take place throughout much of 2026 at SFU’s molecular biology and biochemistry department.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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