Predicting Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in Campylobacter, a Foodborne Pathogen, and Cost Burden Analysis Using Machine Learning

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant public health and economic challenge, increasing treatment costs and reducing antibiotic effectiveness. This study employs machine learning to analyze genomic and epidemiological data from the public databases for molecular typing and microbial genome diversity (PubMLST), incorporating data from UK government-supported AMR surveillance by the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland. We identify AMR patterns in Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli isolates collected in the UK from 2001 to 2017. The research integrates whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data, epidemiological metadata, and economic projections to identify key resistance determinants and forecast future resistance trends and healthcare costs. We investigate gyrA mutations for fluoroquinolone resistance and the tet(O) gene for tetracycline resistance, training a Random Forest model validated with bootstrap resampling (1,000 samples, 95% confidence intervals), achieving 74% accuracy in predicting AMR phenotypes. Time-series forecasting models (SARIMA, SIR, and Prophet) predict a rise in campylobacteriosis cases, potentially exceeding 130 cases per 100,000 people by 2050, with an economic burden projected to surpass 1.9 billion GBP annually if left unchecked. An enhanced Random Forest system, analyzing 6,683 isolates, refines predictions by incorporating temporal patterns, uncertainty estimation, and resistance trend modeling, indicating sustained high beta-lactam resistance, increasing fluoroquinolone resistance, and fluctuating tetracycline resistance.