Do you sometimes look at a Microbiology report and wonder if the microbiologist made up the tongue-twister of a microbe name you’re reading on the report? In this episode, we unpack the differences between contaminants, commensals and colonisers in the common specimen types – urine, respiratory samples and blood cultures.

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Guest: Dr Yogandree Ramsamy  

Dr Yogandree Ramsamy is a Clinical Microbiologist at Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital in Umlazi, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa. Dr Ramsamy is extremely passionate about AMR and implementation of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs). Currently a member of several local and international committees related to Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) and Infection Prevention and Control, Dr Ramsamy is committed to the fight against AMR. Appointed by the Head of Health in KZN to serve on the KZN Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) Committee, Dr Ramsamy engages with various stakeholders to promote the concept of AMS within the KZN public health sector in line with the South African National AMR Strategy. As a lecturer and currently pursuing a PhD at the University of KwaZulu-Natal reviewing Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) in a One Health perspective, she is passionate about making a difference and contributing to academic progress. Creating awareness of a bleak future without the prospects of lifesaving antimicrobials, mentoring up and coming individuals who are equally passionate about saving antimicrobials for future generations is one of her greatest ambitions.