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The Scourge of Antibiotic Resistance: The Important Role of the Environment

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TLDR
The rapid evolution and spread of "new" antibiotic resistance genes has been enhanced by modern human activity and its influence on the environmental resistome, which highlights the importance of including the role of the environmental vectors, such as bacterial genetic diversity within soil and water, in resistance risk management.
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance and associated genes are ubiquitous and ancient, with most genes that encode resistance in human pathogens having originated in bacteria from the natural environment (eg, β-lactamases and fluoroquinolones resistance genes, such as qnr). The rapid evolution and spread of "new" antibiotic resistance genes has been enhanced by modern human activity and its influence on the environmental resistome. This highlights the importance of including the role of the environmental vectors, such as bacterial genetic diversity within soil and water, in resistance risk management. We need to take more steps to decrease the spread of resistance genes in environmental bacteria into human pathogens, to decrease the spread of resistant bacteria to people and animals via foodstuffs, wastes and water, and to minimize the levels of antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria introduced into the environment. Reducing this risk must include improved management of waste containing antibiotic residues and antibiotic-resistant microorganisms.

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Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI

The diversity of uncharacterized antibiotic resistance genes can be predicted from known gene variants—but not always

TL;DR: The results of this study suggest that knowledge gained from large-scale quantifications of known resistance genes can be utilized as a proxy for unknown resistance factors, and has implications for the design of risk ranking strategies and the choices of measures and methods for describing resistance gene abundance and diversity in the environment.
Journal ArticleDOI

A qualitative analysis of pharmacists' attitudes and practices regarding the sale of antibiotics without prescription in Syria

TL;DR: Stricter laws and more law enforcement in addition to pharmacists and public education may constitute the most important elements to limit the spread of antibiotic dispensing without prescription in Syria.
Journal ArticleDOI

Endless resistance. Endless antibiotics

TL;DR: The practice of medicine was profoundly transformed by the introduction of the antibiotics and the antibacterials and a timeless biological activity for these compounds has been presumed.
Journal ArticleDOI

Prevalence and fluoroquinolones resistance of Campylobacter and Salmonella isolates from poultry carcasses in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

TL;DR: Findings reveal a broad extent of fluoroquinolone resistance in Campylobacter isolates from chicken carcasses in Brazil and underline the need for prudent use of these antibiotics in poultry production to minimize the spread of fluorosquinolones resistant Campyloblacter.
Journal ArticleDOI

Antibiotic-resistant indicator bacteria in irrigation water: High prevalence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli.

TL;DR: The increased occurrence of indicator ARB with increased total indicator bacteria suggests that the latter might be a suitable estimate for presence of respective ARB strains in irrigation water.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI

Antibiotics in the aquatic environment - A review - Part II

TL;DR: This review brings up important questions that are still open, and addresses some significant issues which must be tackled in the future for a better understanding of the behavior of antibiotics in the environment, as well as the risks associated with their occurrence.
Journal ArticleDOI

Antibiotic resistance is ancient

TL;DR: Target metagenomic analyses of rigorously authenticated ancient DNA from 30,000-year-old Beringian permafrost sediments are reported and show conclusively that antibiotic resistance is a natural phenomenon that predates the modern selective pressure of clinical antibiotic use.
BookDOI

Water for Food Water for Life : A Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture

TL;DR: Molden et al. as discussed by the authors presented a comprehensive assessment of water management in agriculture, focusing on water for food, water for life, and water for the future of agriculture.
Journal ArticleDOI

Antibiotics and antibiotic resistance in water environments

TL;DR: Methods to reduce resistant bacterial load in wastewaters, and the amount of antimicrobial agents, in most cases originated in hospitals and farms, include optimization of disinfection procedures and management of wastewater and manure.
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