Surveying Antimicrobial Resistance: The New Complexity of the Problem

📖 The Scoop

 In January of 2015, under the 1st International Caparica Conference in

Antibiotic Resistance, a Research Topic entitled: “Surveying Antimicrobial

Resistance: Approaches, Issues, and Challenges to overcome”, was published

(http://journal.frontiersin.org/researchtopic/3763/surveying-antimicrobial-resistanceapproaches-

issues-and-challenges-to-overcome). The problem of antimicrobial

resistance (AMR), caused by excessive and inappropriate use of antibiotics, is a public

health issue that concerns us all. The introduction of penicillin in the 1940s, the start of

the antibiotics era, has been recognized as one of the greatest advances in therapeutic

medicine. However, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), AMR infections

are now an increasing worldwide public health threat and a post-antibiotic era is

imminent, where common infections and minor injuries could be fatal. AMR is a typical

‘One Health’ problem, in which livestock animals and the environment constitute AMR

reservoirs and transmission routes to and from the human population. Without effective

antimicrobials to counter and prevent infections, other major achievements in modern

medicine, such as organ transplantation, cancer chemotherapy and major surgery, risk

being compromised.

AMR infections in animals have negative outcomes on animal health, welfare,

biosecurity and production. In 2006, the ban of growth promoting antibiotics

highlighted antibiotic use in animal production as a risk factor in the development

of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Bacteria can be transferred to humans via several

routes; consumption of animal products, exposure through contact with animals,

and the contamination of ground and surface waters by animal waste products.

Therefore, it is of utmost importance that antimicrobial use in animals is reduced to

a minimum, without compromising animal health and welfare.

Mechanisms of bacterial antibiotic resistance are classified according to the types of

antibiotic molecules or their targets in the cell. Environmental antibiotic-resistance

genes are spread then acquired by clinically relevant microorganisms. Many resistance

genes are conveyed into pathogen genomes via mobile genetic elements such as

plasmids, transposons or integrons, increasing the propagation of potential resistant pathogens. Substantial progress has already been made in elucidating the basic

regulatory networks that endow bacteria with their extraordinary capacity to adapt

to a diversity of lifestyles and external stress factors.

So how will we face bacteria in the future?

Genre: No Category (fancy, right?)