Monitoring antimicrobial resistance trends from global genomics data: amr.watch

Area of Science:

• Genomics
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Whole genome sequencing (WGS) generates valuable data for pathogen surveillance and understanding antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
• Challenges exist in integrating and analyzing large volumes of WGS data for timely insights into AMR trends.
• Existing data platforms may not fully exploit the potential of shared WGS data for guiding AMR interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present amr.watch, an interactive platform for interrogating AMR trends from public WGS data.
• To support research and policy decisions by providing ongoing analysis of AMR data.
• To enable assessment of geotemporal trends in genotypic variants and AMR mechanisms.

Main Methods:

• Incorporation, analysis, and visualization of high-quality WGS data from WHO priority bacterial pathogens.
• Utilizing community-standard analytical methods with species-specific curation of AMR mechanisms.
• Integration of WGS data with geotemporal and sampling information.

Main Results:

• The amr.watch platform, by March 2025, contained data from 620,700 pathogen genomes with geotemporal information.
• Demonstrated ability to assess geotemporal trends in genotypic variants and AMR mechanisms.
• Highlighted variable representation of species and geographic regions, indicating areas for data improvement.

Conclusions:

• amr.watch serves as a crucial information platform for scientists and policymakers, offering situational awareness of AMR trends derived from genomic data.
• The platform is positioned to monitor pathogen populations and global genomic surveillance efforts as WGS adoption grows.
• Improved metadata and representative sampling will enhance amr.watch's utility in guiding tailored AMR control strategies.