Metagenomic Insights into Microbial Communities from Environmental Samples in an Urban Informal Settlement in Nairobi, Kenya
This project examines the metagenomic insights into microbial communities from environmental samples collected in Mukuru informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya. The study aims to explore the antimicrobial resistance genes (MGEs), mobile genetic elements (MGEs), and microbial communities found in drinking water, effluent, soil, and raw sewage and explore the persistence and contamination pathways of microbial pathogens in an urban informal setting, where sanitation and access to clean water are major challenges. Environmental samples, including effluent, drinking water, and soil, were collected from households within the study site. Given the high burden of enteric infections and limited infrastructure in informal settlements, the metagenomic analysis of the environmental microbiome will provide insights into the microbial diversity, potential reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance genes and mobile genetic elements, and the potential transmission routes of pathogenic microbes of clinical significance in this context. This will contribute to efforts to reduce public health risks in underserved urban populations, by integrating holistic, multi-sectoral surveillance that bridges environmental monitoring with public health and clinical interventions to curb the sustained persistence and spread of resistant bacteria in vulnerable communities.