The United States has one of the safest drinking water supplies in the world thanks to improvements in infrastructure and water treatment methods over the last century. However, millions of Americans still get sick from waterborne illnesses every year. For the first time, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have generated an estimate of our country’s overall burden from waterborne disease.

Based on a comprehensive review of data from 2000 to 2015, scientists believe there are around 7 million cases of waterborne illnesses every year in the US. Of these 7 million cases, there are approximately 118,000 hospitalizations and 6,600 death annually. The majority of these severe cases are caused by respiratory or systemic infections.

One of the most common species responsible for those infections is Pseudomonas, a Gram-negative bacteria that can be transmitted through contaminated aerosolized water. Concerningly, multi-drug resistant strains of Pseudomonas are becoming increasingly common and are considered a serious threat by the CDC. In fact, Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of six ESKAPE pathogens – a group of bacteria capable of escaping the actions of antibiotics. Therefore, there is an unmet need to develop novel agents for effective treatment of Pseudomonas infections.

TransPharm Preclinical Solutions has validated several mouse models – including pulmonary infection, peritonitis, and bacteremia – using multiple strains of P. aeruginosa. Endpoints for these studies include mortality tracking and CFU load in harvested organs and/or blood. Pharmacokinetic profiling, blood chemistry, tissue harvests, and histology are available upon request. Contact us today to receive a complimentary consultation or a free, no-obligation quote.