INDUSTRY MATTERS
Casting a Wider Net in AR Detection
By Steve Kelly, Streck, Inc.
More than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant
infections occur in the United States each
year, and more than 35,000 people die as
a result, according to a recent report from
the US Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC).
The CDC’s “Antibiotic Resistance Threats
in the United States, 2019,” known as the
“2019 AR Threats Report,” highlights the
continued threat of antibiotic resistance
in the country. Addressing this threat
entails preventing infections, slowing the
development of resistance through better
antibiotic use, and stopping the spread of
resistance when it does develop.
Antibiotic resistance—the ability of
germs to defeat the drugs designed to
kill them—is one of the greatest global
public health challenges of our time. The
CDC report reveals that while prevention
and infection control efforts are working
to reduce the number of infections and
deaths caused by antibiotic resistant
germs, the number of people facing
antibiotic resistance is staggering.
Antibiotic-resistant infections in
humans can be difficult, and sometimes
impossible, to treat. People receiving
healthcare or those with weakened
immune systems are often at higher risk
for getting an infection. The most deadly
resistant healthcare-associated germs
spread from patient to patient and across
healthcare facilities—and even into the
community, where they are much harder
to control.
In 2016, the Interagency Task Force for
Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
developed the National Strategy on
Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria.
National Strategy goals include improved
detection, monitoring and surveillance of
AR bacteria, as well as stronger antibiotic
stewardship in clinical settings and
expanded research capacity.
One of the main goals of the National
Strategy is advancing and developing
rapid and innovative diagnostic tests for
identification and characterization of AR
bacteria. Hospital infection control staff
can see which resistance mechanisms
are present in their local community
or health system by using an antibiotic
resistance surveillance method such as
Streck ARM-D ® Kits. These kits allow lab
personnel to detect the most clinically
important β-lactamases for current and
emerging threats.
Casting a wider net —the ability to detect
more AR gene variants —reduces the
chances of reporting a false negative
result, reduces the number of cases that
slip through initial genetic screening and
reduces retest events.
Streck’s real-time PCR kits detect more
than 1,000 different AR gene variants
covering 26 families—approximately 10
times the number of variants than other
real-time PCR-based detection methods,
kits and cartridges can identify.
The newest ARM-D Kits for MCR,
expanded OXA, and TEM/SHV/GES
detect all five major CRE gene families
(KPC, OXA, NDM, IMP and VIM); colistin
resistance target genes including MCR-1,
MCR-2, MCR-3, MCR-4 and MCR-5; and
ESBL genes including CTX-M-14, CTX-M-
15, TEM, SHV and GES.
Streck ARM-D Kits are for research
use only and not for use in diagnostic
procedures. n
Streck is a Gold Level sustaining
member of APHL.
PublicHealthLabs
@APHL
APHL.org
Spring 2020 LAB MATTERS 21