Translational epidemiologic studies, as the intersection of clinical and population-based research, can provide estimates of the extent to which fundamental discoveries can positively impact health. Such studies have the potential to contribute substantially to the translation of scientific discoveries into effective, evidence-based approaches for treatment, prevention, and control of disease in human and animal populations including . A major goal of this proposal is to conduct a complete epidemiological investigation for the presence of ESBL-PE and CPE strains in human, wild as well as domesticated animal samples. Human samples will be collected from patients of Larissa University Hospital. Samples from wild animals are compiled by the Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly. Samples from livestock come from the veterinary company ELANCO HELLAS SACI through its network partners. All samples are tested for the presence of ESBL-PE and CPE management. In addition, all Enterobacteriaceae from animals are fully screened for all antibiotic resistance. After isolation of ESBL-PE strains and CPE, the responsible resistance genes will be determined by molecular methods and multi-site sequencing (multilocus sequence typing, MLST). Subsequently, a comparative genomic study will be performed for all ESBL-PE and CPE isolates using microarrays. In parallel, the potential of non-destructive and label-free Raman spectroscopy to distinguish between sensitive and resistant strains will be explored. (IPHT) The advantage of Raman spectroscopy to allow analyses on a single cell level in a short time will lead to a better understanding of the distribution of bacterial zoonoses that threaten humans.

The project is funded by DLR, IB BMBF with the number 01EI1701.