Sydney, June 6: Australian scientists have made a breakthrough in combating Staphylococcus aureus, commonly known as golden staph -- a superbug that causes more than a million deaths worldwide each year.

The world-first initiative has demonstrated that real-time genome sequencing during severe infections allows doctors to quickly identify resistance mutations, and personalise treatment, Xinhua news agency reported.

It will also help curb the spread of antibiotic resistance, said researchers from the Melbourne-based Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity (Doherty Institute).

Collaborating with seven local hospitals, scientists from the Doherty Institute said that traditionally, hospital laboratories identify bacteria using standard tests that reveal only the species type, offering limited insight into antibiotic resistance or genetic changes.

In contrast, genome sequencing provides a comprehensive genetic profile, uncovering mutations that can influence how bacteria respond to treatment.

Previously, research into bacterial evolution was typically carried out retrospectively, often years after patients had completed treatment.

In contrast, this new method enables clinicians to monitor bacterial changes in real-time, providing immediate and actionable insights for patient care, according to the study published in Nature Communications.

Comparing golden staph samples from patients at the start of infection and at treatment failure, researchers found that in a third of cases, the bacteria developed mutations making standard antibiotics ineffective, said lead author Stefano Giulieri at the Doherty Institute and the University of Melbourne.

"In one case, after initially controlling a golden staph infection, the patient returned to the hospital two months after stopping antibiotics," Giulieri said.

Giulieri added that resistance increased 80-fold within two months, but genomic insights enabled clinicians to successfully adapt treatment and cure the infection.

These findings represent a major step toward targeted therapy for bacterial infections and open the door to future clinical trials that could make this approach standard practice in hospitals worldwide, said the researchers.

(IANS)

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