Supporting the Genome Microbial Identifier and Whole Genome Sequencing in Addressing Food-Borne Diseases in Asean

Abstract

Food-borne diseases (FBDs) have had a significant impact on Southeast Asia’s health and quality of life. A significant part of health security concerns relates to diseases caused by dangerous (pathogenic) microorganisms in food. These are exacerbated by the evolution trends of microorganisms, which increase their resistance to antimicrobials used to treat diseases, also known as antimicrobial resistance (AMR). If regulators are unable to keep tabs on FBDs amid these trends, health risks and misdiagnosis could increase and potentially be exacerbated by increasing intraregional integration of food supply chains.