# Antimicrobial Resistance Transmission Associated with Small-Scale Food-Animal Production in Peri-Urban Communities of Quito, Ecuador

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY · 2021 · $474,332

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
The increased prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among Enterobacteriaceae has had major clinical
and economic impacts in human medicine. Many of the multi-drug resistant (MDR) Enterobacteriaceae found
in humans are community-acquired and linked to food-animals (i.e. livestock raised for meat and dairy
products). The objective of this research project is to apply epidemiologic methods and next-generation DNA
sequencing to quantify the exchange of MDR strains of E. coli and mobile genetic elements (e.g. plasmids,
transposons, etc.) between food-animals and children living in peri-urban parishes east of Quito, Ecuador
where small-scale food-animal production is widespread. The study will include households with young
children in three neighborhood types: 1) neighborhoods with no food-animal production; 2) neighborhoods with
small-scale food-animal production only; and 3) neighborhoods with small-scale and commercial-scale food-
animal production. Approach: In Aim 1, we will examine whether young children and food-animals share E. coli
clones [assessed by whole genome multi-locus sequence typing (wgMLST)] that also have the same
phenotypic multi-drug resistance pattern. In Aim 2, we will identify MDR E. coli strains in young children and
animals that are not clones (identified by wgMLST) but share the same phenotypic multi-drug resistance
pattern. We will then analyze the mobile genetic elements associated with the observed phenotypic resistance
patterns and characterize the phylogenetic relationship of the mobile genetic elements responsible for
resistance gene transfer. In Aim 3a, we will examine whether food-animal production poses a significant risk
for transmission of AMR to children, controlling for other known risk factors, and in Aim 3b, we will apply
qualitative research methods to characterize the drivers of antimicrobial use in small-scale food-animal
production. Expected Outcomes: To our knowledge, the proposed study will be one of the first of its kind and
will likely set a precedent for future studies that aim to better understand community transmission of AMR. This
study will likely make major contributions to our understanding of: i) mechanistic questions of AMR
transmission (i.e. clonal spread versus horizontal gene transfer); ii) exposure-related questions of AMR
transmission (i.e. risk factors associated with colonization with MDR/ESBL-E. coli); and iii) an understanding of
the driving factors for use of antimicrobials in small-scale food-animal production.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10073467
- **Project number:** 5R01AI135118-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY
- **Principal Investigator:** Jay Paul Graham
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $474,332
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-01-01 → 2022-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10073467

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10073467, Antimicrobial Resistance Transmission Associated with Small-Scale Food-Animal Production in Peri-Urban Communities of Quito, Ecuador (5R01AI135118-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10073467. Licensed CC0.

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