Living diagnostics

Listeria monocytogenes is a type of bacteria that can contaminate food and cause listeriosis – a potentially life-threatening illness if not treated properly. In many respects a perfectly designed bacterial contaminant, Listeria remains hardy even in the face of aggressive cleaning and sanitizing. Unlike many foodborne bacteria, it can survive and even grow even under refrigeration, tolerates salty environments and thrives when it comes into contact with food.

In recent years, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has sprung to the forefront of many medical and political conversations, with the warning that the prevalence of resistant pathogens could lead to a public health crisis. Ranked a top 10 global public health threat by the World Health Organization, it is estimated that 1.27 million deaths occurred in a single year attributable to AMR.

Worldwide escalation in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has sparked fear of a looming post-antimicrobial era. Antibiotic overuse and inappropriate use—including over-prescribing, inaccurate, and suboptimal prescribing—promotes bacterial evolution and resistance to treatment. Data suggests that there were an estimated 4.95 million deaths associated with bacterial AMR in 2019. The World Bank estimates that AMR could result in 1 trillion dollars in additional healthcare costs by 2050 if actions are not taken now to curb growing resistance.

Osteomyelitis – infection of the bone, and septic arthritis – joint infection, are serious medical conditions that can significantly impact a patient's quality of life. Bone and joint infections, often referred to as (BJIs), are notoriously difficult to treat and successful therapy requires organism-specific antimicrobial therapy at high doses for a prolonged duration.1 Diagnostics can support the identification and management of BJIs, while helping slow the progression of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).