Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Screening at Bactera

With Bactera Microbiome 360° Premium package you receive antimicrobial resistance screening as part of your microbiome analysis. This reveals whether bacteria in your gut carry traits that may reduce the effectiveness of commonly used antibiotics.

What is antimicrobial resistance?

Antibiotics are designed to kill harmful bacteria or stop them from growing. Over time, some bacteria learn how to defend themselves against these medicines. This ability is called antimicrobial resistance (AMR). When resistant bacteria are present, a treatment that normally works may no longer be effective.

The gut is one of the largest reservoirs of bacteria in the body. It can contain both harmless microbes and potential pathogens. If some of these microorganisms carry resistance traits, they may survive antibiotic therapy and continue to cause symptoms or spread to other parts of the body.

Why antimicrobial resistance matters for you

Antibiotic resistance can affect everyday medical care:

• Infections may last longer or return repeatedly

• Doctors may need to use stronger drugs with more side effects

• Standard therapies for urinary, respiratory, or intestinal infections may fail

• Planned surgeries or immunosuppressive treatments become more complex

By screening the microbiome for resistance signals, Bactera Microbiome 360° Premium provides additional information that can support your healthcare provider in choosing the most appropriate therapy from the start.

How resistance is detected in the microbiome

With shotgun DNA sequencing we analyze genetic material from all microorganisms in the stool. Certain genes are known to protect bacteria against specific antibiotics. Detecting these markers does not automatically mean you are ill, but it can explain:

• why a previous treatment did not help

• why symptoms return after antibiotics

• which medications are more likely to be effective

The result is meant to guide medical decisions together with your doctor and your clinical history.

Antibiotics included in our analysis

Below is an overview of the main antibiotic groups we focus on and what they are commonly used for.

Amoxicillin
A widely used first-line antibiotic for ear, throat, respiratory, and urinary tract infections. Resistance may lead to repeated sinus or bladder infections despite treatment.

Ciprofloxacin
Used for urinary tract infections, some gastrointestinal infections, and traveler’s diarrhea. Resistance can make common bladder infections difficult to treat.

Ceftriaxone
A strong hospital antibiotic for severe pneumonia, bloodstream infections, and complicated abdominal infections. Detecting resistance is important before major medical procedures.

Meropenem
A last-resort antibiotic for life-threatening infections. Resistance to this drug is a serious global health concern and may require specialist therapy.

Vancomycin
Often used against resistant gram-positive bacteria and for Clostridioides difficile infections. Resistance can complicate treatment of severe intestinal disease.

Azithromycin
Commonly prescribed for respiratory infections and certain sexually transmitted infections. Resistance may explain persistent throat or lung symptoms.

Tetracycline
Used for skin conditions, acne, and some intestinal infections. Gut resistance can reduce its effectiveness for chronic inflammatory conditions.

Trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole
Frequently used for urinary tract and gastrointestinal infections. Resistance is one of the main reasons for recurring bladder infections.

When this information is especially valuable

Antimicrobial resistance screening can be helpful if you:

• have had several courses of antibiotics with little improvement

• suffer from recurrent urinary or intestinal infections

• are planning surgery or immunosuppressive therapy

• were recently hospitalized or traveled abroad

• care for vulnerable family members

Knowing potential resistance patterns allows doctors to select targeted treatment instead of trying multiple medications by trial and error.

Responsible use of antibiotics

Antibiotics remain life-saving medicines, but they should be used carefully. Avoiding unnecessary antibiotics, completing prescribed courses, and choosing the right drug when treatment is truly needed are key steps to protect both personal and public health. Microbiome-based resistance insights add another layer of information to support this responsible approach.

Important to remember

The detection of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes in the microbiome does not indicate the presence of a resistant infection and does not predict how a specific infection would respond to antibiotic treatment.

Resistance genes are commonly found in the gut microbiome as part of the natural microbial ecosystem, even in healthy individuals. Their presence reflects genetic potential within the microbial community, not a clinically relevant resistance pattern.

These findings must not be used to guide antibiotic therapy or treatment decisions. If an infection is suspected, appropriate clinical diagnostics performed by a healthcare professional are required to determine the correct treatment.

This analysis is intended for informational and research purposes only and does not replace medical diagnosis or clinical microbiology testing.