Wozniak, Teresa M

Young, Alys R

Shausan, Aminath

Legg, Amy

Leung, Michael J

Coulter, Sonali A

Pereira, Shalinie

Baird, Robert

Murphy, Majella G

2025-05-19

The HOTspots surveillance and response program monitors antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in selected bacterial pathogens across three jurisdictions in northern Australia. In 2022, the program collected data from 164 community healthcare clinics and 50 hospitals to assess AMR trends and geographic variations.Data on resistance rates for methicillin-resistant (MRSA) and for () were analysed. Geographic regions were compared to identify variations in AMR across the Northern Territory, northern Western Australia and northern Queensland. Resistance rates were compared between community clinics and hospitals.In 2022, there were 56,003 clinical isolates submitted to HOTspots. Geographic variation was evident in methicillin resistance, with MRSA accounting for 14.4% of isolates in the east, 53.1% in central northern Australia and 46.3% in western northern Australia. Clindamycin-resistant MRSA was highest in the Northern Territory (21.7%) compared to Western Australia (16.1%) and Queensland (5.9%), limiting treatment options for community-acquired MRSA. Ceftriaxone-resistant also varied geographically, with resistance rates ranging from 3.9% in the east to 23.4% in central and 10.1% in the west. High rates of ceftriaxone resistance were observed in both community clinics (10.6%) and hospitals (16.3%). Nitrofurantoin-resistant remained low (0.2%) and stable over the past five years.HOTspots data are critical for informing local antibiotic guidelines and aiding clinical decision-making. This detailed surveillance captures geographic and healthcare-setting-specific variations in AMR, which can improve regional treatment strategies across northern Australia, with a focus on the Northern Territory, which had previously lacked comprehensive surveillance.

Australian e-Health Research Centre, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial and Research Organisation, STARS Herston, Queensland, 4029, Australia.

Australian e-Health Research Centre, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial and Research Organisation, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria 3052, Australia.

Australian e-Health Research Centre, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial and Research Organisation, STARS Herston, Queensland, 4029, Australia.

Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.

Department of Pharmacy, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Pathwest Pathology Medicine, Department of Health (WA Health), Perth, Western Australia, 6000, Australia.

Antimicrobial Stewardship Data, Pathology Queensland, Queensland Health, Herston, Queensland, 4029, Australia.

Western Diagnostic Pathology, Jandakot, Western Australia, 6164, Australia.

Departments of Infectious Diseases and Pathology and Northern Territory Medical Program, Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, Northern Territory, 0811, Australia.

Australian e-Health Research Centre, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial and Research Organisation, STARS Herston, Queensland, 4029, Australia.

Commun Dis Intell (2018) . 2025 May 19:49. doi: 10.33321/cdi.2025.49.030.

2209-6051

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40383520/?otool=iaurydwlib

https://hdl.handle.net/10137/14282

antimicrobial resistance

community

northern Australia

regional

surveillance

Humans

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Anti-Bacterial Agents

Escherichia coli

Drug Resistance, Bacterial

Australia

Epidemiological Monitoring

Microbial Sensitivity Tests

Escherichia coli Infections

Queensland

Staphylococcal Infections

Northern Territory

Antimicrobial resistance in northern Australia: the HOTspots surveillance and response program annual epidemiology report 2022.

Journal Article

Publication