The Comedia-Lyon project
Antibiotic resistance is a major public health threat situated at the intersection of human, animal, and environmental health. It refers to the situation where antibiotic treatment is no longer effective against a bacterial infection. Globally, 1.27 million deaths in 2019 were attributable to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The inappropriate use of antibiotics and the transmission of resistant bacteria are two factors influencing the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance. However, living conditions (family structure, presence of animals in the household, travel abroad) and other socioeconomic factors (population density, access to healthcare, standard of living) must also be taken into account. Wastewater serves as a reservoir for resistant bacteria and their genes, contributing to the spread of antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotic resistance is therefore a global phenomenon but it is difficult to link the knowledge of each community (human, animal health and environment), especially on a large scale. Bringing together a transdisciplinary team (epidemiology, microbiology, ecology, urban hydrology, anthropology), the overall objective of ComEDIA-Lyon is to describe and explain the diversity of antibiotic resistance from a One Health point of view in various geographical areas of Lyon, with a strong emphasis on socio-anthropological aspects. The specific objectives are to i) map the diversity of levels of resistance in humans (hospital and community), domestic animals (dogs) and in the environment (wastewater), ii) identify the socio-economic factors and living conditions associated with the various levels of resistance, and iii) assess to what extent wastewater plays a role in the dissemination of ABR.
We will use existing databases (data on antibiotic resistance and usage in humans, socio-demographic data) and supplement them with specifically collected data (water and dog fecal samples, an ethno-epidemiological survey of patients). We will combine a quantitative approach—involving epidemiology and ecological modeling—with a qualitative approach through an ethno-epidemiological study. This project will be conducted in close collaboration with civil society partners and local stakeholders, and will serve to organize the Lyon-based research community focused on antibiotic resistance into a single transdisciplinary consortium.
Project leaders:
Mélanie COLOMB-COTINAT
Mélanie Colomb-Cotinat is a pharmacist and epidemiologist. She specializes in the surveillance of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in human health and the prevention of infection risks. Notably, she worked at Santé publique France—the national public health agency—where she contributed to national surveillance initiatives.
Since 2022, she has been a contract hospital physician at the Hospices civils de Lyon and affiliated with the Centre international de recherche en infectiologie. She conducts numerous studies on the early detection of bacterial outbreaks and the epidemiology of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and is involved in “One Health” projects with stakeholders from the human health, animal health, and environmental sectors.
Lucie COLLINEAU
Lucie Collineau is a veterinary epidemiologist at the Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l’alimentation, de l’environnement et du travail (Anses). Their work focuses on surveillance, research, and expert assessment regarding antibiotic resistance in livestock and companion animals.
She is involved in various national and international initiatives aimed at leveraging surveillance data—through cross-analysis across human, animal, and environmental populations or sectors—within a collaborative, “One Health” framework.
