The Project

(LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-030713, PTDC/CAL-EST/30713/2017)

Increasing resistance to antimicrobials (antibiotics and biocides) is a global public health threat with devastating human and economic burden. The intensive use of antimicrobials in veterinary and human practice and in our daily activities is an additional driving force towards antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Yet, while antibiotic mechanisms of action and resistance are well studied, similar knowledge on biocides is still incipient. Likewise, the effect of antimicrobial use outside the hospital and the contribution of biocide community-driven pressure to AMR remains largely uncharacterized.

The main aim of the project is to understand the role played by the use of biocides and antibiotics in the community on the global emergence of AMR as a way to break its escalating incidence. For that, we will study staphylococci causing skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) in the community by in vitro and in vivo methodologies and characterize the main mechanisms leading to AMR to propose rational conditions for biocide use, as alternative to exhausting antibiotic therapy. Bacteria and/or genes may be transmitted between animals and humans. Thus, this project embraces the OneHealth concept, focusing AMR among staphylococci causing SSTIs in pets (cats and dogs) and in humans.

The project involves three research teams (IHMT/UNL; FMV/UL and Houston Methodist Research Institute, HMRI, USA), which will merge their complementary approaches to fulfill the proposed aims.

The project is expected to provide data for the comprehension on clinical resistance to biocides, co-resistance with antibiotics and mechanisms of biocide action. This is an important step towards a safer and broader use of biocides in the community as alternative to antibiotherapy with long term positive effect on the control of the rising AMR among animals and humans.