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Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is usually discussed as a clinical problem, but resistant bacteria and resistance genes also move through water, soil, food systems, wastewater, healthcare waste and industrial pollution. This environmental dimension is increasingly recognized as an important part of the One Health response to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Antibiotic residues and resistant microorganisms can enter the environment through human excreta, animal production, pharmaceutical manufacturing, agricultural runoff and inadequately treated waste. Environmental settings can then provide opportunities for resistant organisms and resistance genes to persist, mix and spread.
References
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3. World Health Organization. Guidance on wastewater and solid waste management for manufacturing of antibiotics. Geneva: WHO; 2024. doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(24)00337-0.
4. Murray CJL, Ikuta KS, Sharara F, et al. Global burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance in 2019: a systematic analysis. Lancet. 2022;399:629–655. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(21)02724-0.
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