Monitoring antimicrobial resistance trends from global genomics data: amr.watch
AntiMicrobial Resistance (AMR) is a growing global health threat, responsible for over 1 million deaths in 2021, with projections rising to nearly 2 million by 2050. Since 2017, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has categorised different bacterial pathogens into “critical”, “high” and “medium” priority groups to inform research and public health priorities around AMR. amr.watch (https:// amr.watch) is an interactive online platform designed to monitor antimicrobial resistance (AMR) using publicly available whole‑genome sequencing (WGS) data from priority bacterial pathogens defined by the WHO. The platform integrates, analyses, and visualizes high‑quality genomic data to support research, surveillance, and policy-making. By 31 March 2025, the platform included data from 620,700 pathogen genomes with geotemporal information, with highly variable representation of different species and geographic regions. The platform visualizes: geographic distribution of genomes, temporal trends, most frequent variants and AMR mechanisms, customizable filters for country, year, variant, and resistance genes.
amr.watch is a scalable, adaptable tool that enhances global AMR surveillance by transforming large volumes of genomic data into actionable insights. As WGS becomes more widely adopted and metadata improves, the platform will increasingly support precision public health strategies to fight AMR.
Suggested by Prof.ssa Viviana Cafiso