Antimicrobial resistance gene of public health concern found in imported seafood – calls for increased surveillance

Melbourne researchers have detected an antimicrobial resistance (AMR) gene of public health concern in cooked prawns imported from overseas, prompting calls for broader genomic surveillance program.

The Microbiological Diagnostic Unit Public Health Laboratory (MDU PHL), part of the University of Melbourne’s Department Microbiology and Immunology at the Doherty Institute, regularly conducts whole-genome sequencing of bacterial samples submitted from food imported into Australia, as part of the Government’s Imported Food Inspection Scheme.

As part of this routine genomic surveillance program, scientists at MDU PHL discovered a new strain of Vibrio alginolyticus, a bacterium commonly found in marine environments, in cooked prawns imported from overseas.