Hyderabad, Apr 7 (TNT): Researchers from the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) and the LV Prasad Eye Institute have highlighted the urgent need for microbiology-guided diagnosis, targeted treatment and genomic surveillance in hospitals following a study that found high levels of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in eye infections.
The collaborative study, published in ‘Communications Biology’, is among the most comprehensive genomic analyses of eye pathogens from India to date.
It was led by Dr Karthik Bharadwaj and Dr DivyaTejSowpati from CSIR-CCMB and Dr Joveeta Joseph from LVPEI.
The researchers found that more than 45 per cent of bacterial isolates from patient samples were multidrug-resistant, including both Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens. These included vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and extensively drug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae.
Dr Vinay K Nandicoori, Director, CSIR-CCMB, said addressing AMR requires close collaboration between clinicians and scientists using real patient samples.
The study also found resistance to commonly used antibiotics, particularly fluoroquinolones, across all tested eye pathogens, raising concerns over the continued reliance on empirical therapy, where treatment is initiated before laboratory confirmation.
Experts said the findings underline the need for microbiology-based diagnosis and targeted treatment approaches, especially for severe infections such as microbial keratitis and endophthalmitis.
Dr Bharadwaj said the presence of highly resistant strains is concerning as they can spread resistance genes and infect other parts of the body.
Highlighting the clinical implications, Dr Joveeta Joseph said the findings provide a foundation for developing region-specific treatment guidelines and strengthening antimicrobial stewardship in ophthalmology.
Dr Prashant Garg, Executive Chair, LVPEI , said eye infections reflect the broader AMR landscape in the environment, positioning them as an important site for surveillance.
The researchers emphasised that the study calls for urgent adoption of targeted therapies and strengthened surveillance systems to tackle the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance.
TNT TS
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