Biofilms as potential reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance in vulnerable settings. - Related Documents




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400001.0000Biofilms as potential reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance in vulnerable settings. Antimicrobial resistance is a major global health threat, characterized by the ability of microorganisms to withstand the effects of antimicrobial agents. Biofilms, as unique microbial communities, significantly contribute to this threat. They provide a protective environment for pathogens, facilitate horizontal gene transfer, and create an ideal setting for the persistence and evolution of resistant bacteria. This issue can be particularly important in low-income settings and vulnerable communities, such as formal and informal refugee and migrant camps. These settings usually have limited access to healthcare resources and appropriate treatments, contributing to the selective pressure that promotes the survival and proliferation of resistant bacteria. Thus, biofilms formed in wastewater in these areas can play a critical role in spreading antimicrobial resistance or acting as hidden reservoirs for future outbreaks. While emerging efforts focus on detecting antibiotic resistance genes and planktonic bacteria in wastewater, biofilms may be a source of under-appreciated antimicrobial resistance, creating a significant gap in our understanding of resistance dynamics in wastewater systems. Incorporating biofilm surveillance into wastewater monitoring strategies in vulnerable settings can help develop a more comprehensive understanding of resistance transmission and more effective intervention measures in these settings.202540190753
651510.9999Environmental antimicrobial resistance and its drivers: a potential threat to public health. Imprudent and overuse of clinically relevant antibiotics in agriculture, veterinary and medical sectors contribute to the global epidemic increase in antimicrobial resistance (AMR). There is a growing concern among researchers and stakeholders that the environment acts as an AMR reservoir and plays a key role in the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). Various drivers are contributing factors to the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and their ARGs either directly through antimicrobial drug use in health care, agriculture/livestock and the environment or antibiotic residues released from various domestic settings. Resistant micro-organisms and their resistance genes enter the soil, air, water and sediments through various routes or hotspots such as hospital wastewater, agricultural waste or wastewater treatment plants. Global mitigation strategies primarily involve the identification of high-risk environments that are responsible for the evolution and spread of resistance. Subsequently, AMR transmission is affected by the standards of infection control, sanitation, access to clean water, access to assured quality antimicrobials and diagnostics, travel and migration. This review provides a brief description of AMR as a global concern and the possible contribution of different environmental drivers to the transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria or ARGs through various mechanisms. We also aim to highlight the key knowledge gaps that hinder environmental regulators and mitigation strategies in delivering environmental protection against AMR.202134454098
670420.9999Gut microbiota research nexus: One Health relationship between human, animal, and environmental resistomes. The emergence and rapid spread of antimicrobial resistance is of global public health concern. The gut microbiota harboring diverse commensal and opportunistic bacteria that can acquire resistance via horizontal and vertical gene transfers is considered an important reservoir and sink of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). In this review, we describe the reservoirs of gut ARGs and their dynamics in both animals and humans, use the One Health perspective to track the transmission of ARG-containing bacteria between humans, animals, and the environment, and assess the impact of antimicrobial resistance on human health and socioeconomic development. The gut resistome can evolve in an environment subject to various selective pressures, including antibiotic administration and environmental and lifestyle factors (e.g., diet, age, gender, and living conditions), and interventions through probiotics. Strategies to reduce the abundance of clinically relevant antibiotic-resistant bacteria and their resistance determinants in various environmental niches are needed to ensure the mitigation of acquired antibiotic resistance. With the help of effective measures taken at the national, local, personal, and intestinal management, it will also result in preventing or minimizing the spread of infectious diseases. This review aims to improve our understanding of the correlations between intestinal microbiota and antimicrobial resistance and provide a basis for the development of management strategies to mitigate the antimicrobial resistance crisis.202338818274
400530.9999Metagenomic-based surveillance systems for antibiotic resistance in non-clinical settings. The success of antibiotics as a therapeutic agent has led to their ineffectiveness. The continuous use and misuse in clinical and non-clinical areas have led to the emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and its genetic determinants. This is a multi-dimensional problem that has now become a global health crisis. Antibiotic resistance research has primarily focused on the clinical healthcare sectors while overlooking the non-clinical sectors. The increasing antibiotic usage in the environment - including animals, plants, soil, and water - are drivers of antibiotic resistance and function as a transmission route for antibiotic resistant pathogens and is a source for resistance genes. These natural compartments are interconnected with each other and humans, allowing the spread of antibiotic resistance via horizontal gene transfer between commensal and pathogenic bacteria. Identifying and understanding genetic exchange within and between natural compartments can provide insight into the transmission, dissemination, and emergence mechanisms. The development of high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies has made antibiotic resistance research more accessible and feasible. In particular, the combination of metagenomics and powerful bioinformatic tools and platforms have facilitated the identification of microbial communities and has allowed access to genomic data by bypassing the need for isolating and culturing microorganisms. This review aimed to reflect on the different sequencing techniques, metagenomic approaches, and bioinformatics tools and pipelines with their respective advantages and limitations for antibiotic resistance research. These approaches can provide insight into resistance mechanisms, the microbial population, emerging pathogens, resistance genes, and their dissemination. This information can influence policies, develop preventative measures and alleviate the burden caused by antibiotic resistance.202236532424
652040.9999Antimicrobial Resistance in the Environment: Towards Elucidating the Roles of Bioaerosols in Transmission and Detection of Antibacterial Resistance Genes. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is continuing to grow across the world. Though often thought of as a mostly public health issue, AMR is also a major agricultural and environmental problem. As such, many researchers refer to it as the preeminent One Health issue. Aerial transport of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria via bioaerosols is still poorly understood. Recent work has highlighted the presence of antibiotic resistance genes in bioaerosols. Emissions of AMR bacteria and genes have been detected from various sources, including wastewater treatment plants, hospitals, and agricultural practices; however, their impacts on the broader environment are poorly understood. Contextualizing the roles of bioaerosols in the dissemination of AMR necessitates a multidisciplinary approach. Environmental factors, industrial and medical practices, as well as ecological principles influence the aerial dissemination of resistant bacteria. This article introduces an ongoing project assessing the presence and fate of AMR in bioaerosols across Canada. Its various sub-studies include the assessment of the emissions of antibiotic resistance genes from many agricultural practices, their long-distance transport, new integrative methods of assessment, and the creation of dissemination models over short and long distances. Results from sub-studies are beginning to be published. Consequently, this paper explains the background behind the development of the various sub-studies and highlight their shared aspects.202235884228
663950.9999Environmental Spread of Antibiotic Resistance. Antibiotic resistance represents a global health concern. Soil, water, livestock and plant foods are directly or indirectly exposed to antibiotics due to their agricultural use or contamination. This selective pressure has acted synergistically to bacterial competition in nature to breed antibiotic-resistant (AR) bacteria. Research over the past few decades has focused on the emergence of AR pathogens in food products that can cause disease outbreaks and the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), but One Health approaches have lately expanded the focus to include commensal bacteria as ARG donors. Despite the attempts of national and international authorities of developed and developing countries to reduce the over-prescription of antibiotics to humans and the use of antibiotics as livestock growth promoters, the selective flow of antibiotic resistance transmission from the environment to the clinic (and vice-versa) is increasing. This review focuses on the mechanisms of ARG transmission and the hotspots of antibiotic contamination resulting in the subsequent emergence of ARGs. It follows the transmission of ARGs from farm to plant and animal food products and provides examples of the impact of ARG flow to clinical settings. Understudied and emerging antibiotic resistance selection determinants, such as heavy metal and biocide contamination, are also discussed here.202134071771
646960.9999From environment to clinic: the role of pesticides in antimicrobial resistance. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in pathogens has been associated mainly with excessive use of antibiotics. Most studies of resistance have focused on clinical pathogens; however, microorganisms are exposed to numerous anthropogenic substances. Few studies have sought to determine the effects of chemical substances on microorganisms. Exposure to these substances may contribute to increased rates of AMR. Understanding microorganism communities in natural environments and AMR mechanisms under the effects of anthropogenic substances, such as pesticides, is important to addressing the current crisis of antimicrobial resistance. This report draws attention to molecules, rather than antibiotics, that are commonly used in agrochemicals and may be involved in developing AMR in non-clinical environments, such as soil. This report examines pesticides as mediators for the appearance of AMR, and as a route for antibiotic resistance genes and antimicrobial resistant bacteria to the anthropic environment. Available evidence suggests that the natural environment may be a key dissemination route for antibiotic-resistant genes. Understanding the interrelationship of soil, water, and pesticides is fundamental to raising awareness of the need for environmental monitoring programs and overcoming the current crisis of AMR.202032973897
651470.9999Review of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes within the one health framework. Background: The interdisciplinary One Health (OH) approach recognizes that human, animal, and environmental health are all interconnected. Its ultimate goal is to promote optimal health for all through the exploration of these relationships. Antibiotic resistance (AR) is a public health challenge that has been primarily addressed within the context of human health and clinical settings. However, it has become increasingly evident that antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) that confer resistance are transmitted and circulated within humans, animals, and the environment. Therefore, to effectively address this issue, antibiotic resistance must also be considered an environmental and livestock/wildlife problem. Objective: This review was carried out to provide a broad overview of the existence of ARB and ARGs in One Health settings. Methods: Relevant studies that placed emphasis on ARB and ARGs were reviewed and key findings were accessed that illustrate the importance of One Health as a measure to tackle growing public and environmental threats. Results: In this review, we delve into the complex interplay of the three components of OH in relation to ARB and ARGs. Antibiotics used in animal husbandry and plants to promote growth, treat, and prevent infectious diseases lead to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in animals. These bacteria are transmitted from animals to humans through food and environmental exposure. The environment plays a critical role in the circulation and persistence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and genes, posing a significant threat to human and animal health. This article also highlights how ARGs are spread in the environment through the transfer of genetic material between bacteria. This transfer can occur naturally or through human activities such as the use of antibiotics in agriculture and waste management practices. Conclusion: It is important to integrate the One Health approach into the public health system to effectively tackle the emergence and spread of ARB and genes that code for resistance to different antibiotics.202438371518
664180.9999Environmental antibiotics and resistance genes as emerging contaminants: Methods of detection and bioremediation. In developing countries, the use of antibiotics has helped to reduce the mortality rate by minimizing the deaths caused by pathogenic infections, but the costs of antibiotic contamination remain a major concern. Antibiotics are released into the environment, creating a complicated environmental problem. Antibiotics are used in human, livestock and agriculture, contributing to its escalation in the environment. Environmental antibiotics pose a range of risks and have significant effects on human and animal health. Nevertheless, this is the result of the development of antibiotic-resistant and multi-drug-resistant bacteria. In the area of health care, animal husbandry and crop processing, the imprudent use of antibiotic drugs produces antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This threat is the deepest in the developing world, with an estimated 700,000 people suffering from antibiotic-resistant infections each year. The study explores how bacteria use a wide variety of antibiotic resistance mechanism and how these approaches have an impact on the environment and on our health. The paper focuses on the processes by which antibiotics degrade, the health effects of these emerging contaminants, and the tolerance of bacteria to antibiotics.202134841318
402690.9999Gut microbiome in the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens. The human gastrointestinal tract is home to a complex and dynamic community of microorganisms known as gut microbiota, which provide the host with important metabolic, signaling, and immunomodulatory functions. Both the commensal and pathogenic members of the gut microbiome serve as reservoirs of antimicrobial-resistance genes (ARG), which can cause potential health threats to the host and can transfer the ARGs to the susceptible microbes and into the environment. Antimicrobial resistance is becoming a major burden on human health and is widely recognized as a global challenge. The diversity and abundance of ARGs in the gut microbiome are variable and depend on the exposure to healthcare-associated antibiotics, usage of antibiotics in veterinary and agriculture, and the migration of the population. The transfer frequency of the ARGs through horizontal gene transfer (HGT) with the help of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) like plasmids, transposons, or phages is much higher among bacteria living in the GI tract compared to other microbial ecosystems. HGT in gut bacteria is facilitated through multiple gene transfer mechanisms, including transformation, conjugation, transduction, and vesicle fusion. It is the need of the hour to implement strict policies to limit indiscriminate antibiotic usage when needed. Developing rapid diagnostic tests for resistance determination and alternatives to antibiotics like vaccination, probiotics, and bacteriophage therapy should have the highest priority in the research and development sectors. Collective actions for sustainable development against resistant pathogens by promoting endogenous gut microbial growth and diversity through interdisciplinary research and findings are key to overcoming the current antimicrobial resistance crisis.202236280316
4020100.9999Is there a role for intestinal sporobiota in the antimicrobial resistance crisis? Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a complex issue requiring specific, multi-sectoral measures to slow its spread. When people are exposed to antimicrobial agents, it can cause resistant bacteria to increase. This means that the use, misuse, and excessive use of antimicrobial agents exert selective pressure on bacteria, which can lead to the development of "silent" reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance genes. These genes can later be mobilized into pathogenic bacteria and contribute to the spread of AMR. Many socioeconomic and environmental factors influence the transmission and dissemination of resistance genes, such as the quality of healthcare systems, water sanitation, hygiene infrastructure, and pollution. The sporobiota is an essential part of the gut microbiota that plays a role in maintaining gut homeostasis. However, because spores are highly transmissible and can spread easily, they can be a vector for AMR. The sporobiota resistome, particularly the mobile resistome, is important for tracking, managing, and limiting the spread of antimicrobial resistance genes among pathogenic and commensal bacterial species.202439173554
4097110.9999Gain and loss of antibiotic resistant genes in multidrug resistant bacteria: One Health perspective. The emergence of multidrug resistance (MDR) has become a global health threat due to the increasing unnecessary use of antibiotics. Multidrug resistant bacteria occur mainly by accumulating resistance genes on mobile genetic elements (MGEs), made possible by horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Humans and animal guts along with natural and engineered environments such as wastewater treatment plants and manured soils have proven to be the major reservoirs and hotspots of spreading antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). As those environments support the dissemination of MGEs through the complex interactions that take place at the human-animal-environment interfaces, a growing One Health challenge is for multiple sectors to communicate and work together to prevent the emergence and spread of MDR bacteria. However, maintenance of ARGs in a bacterial chromosome and/or plasmids in the environments might place energy burdens on bacterial fitness in the absence of antibiotics, and those unnecessary ARGs could eventually be lost. This review highlights and summarizes the current investigations into the gain and loss of ARG genes in MDR bacteria among human-animal-environment interfaces. We also suggest alternative treatments such as combinatory therapies or sequential use of different classes of antibiotics/adjuvants, treatment with enzyme-inhibitors, and phage therapy with antibiotics to solve the MDR problem from the perspective of One Health issues.202133877574
6702120.9999Reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance in the context of One Health. The emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and resistant bacteria, are a global public health challenge. Through horizontal gene transfer, potential pathogens can acquire antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) that can subsequently be spread between human, animal, and environmental reservoirs. To understand the dissemination of ARGs and linked microbial taxa, it is necessary to map the resistome within different microbial reservoirs. By integrating knowledge on ARGs in the different reservoirs, the One Health approach is crucial to our understanding of the complex mechanisms and epidemiology of AMR. Here, we highlight the latest insights into the emergence and spread of AMR from the One Health perspective, providing a baseline of understanding for future scientific investigations into this constantly growing global health threat.202336913905
6521130.9999Hiding in plain sight-wildlife as a neglected reservoir and pathway for the spread of antimicrobial resistance: a narrative review. Antimicrobial resistance represents a global health problem, with infections due to pathogenic antimicrobial resistant bacteria (ARB) predicted to be the most frequent cause of human mortality by 2050. The phenomenon of antimicrobial resistance has spread to and across all ecological niches, and particularly in livestock used for food production with antimicrobials consumed in high volumes. Similarly, hospitals and other healthcare facilities are recognized as significant 'hotspots' of ARB and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs); however, over the past decade, new and previously overlooked ecological niches are emerging as hidden reservoirs of ARB/ARGs. Increasingly extensive and intensive industrial activities, degradation of natural environments, burgeoning food requirements, urbanization, and global climatic change have all dramatically affected the evolution and proliferation of ARB/ARGs, which now stand at extremely concerning ecological levels. While antimicrobial resistant bacteria and genes as they originate and emanate from livestock and human hosts have been extensively studied over the past 30 years, numerous ecological niches have received considerably less attention. In the current descriptive review, the authors have sought to highlight the importance of wildlife as sources/reservoirs, pathways and receptors of ARB/ARGs in the environment, thus paving the way for future primary research in these areas.202235425978
4094140.9999Impact of environment on transmission of antibiotic-resistant superbugs in humans and strategies to lower dissemination of antibiotic resistance. Antibiotics are the most efficient type of therapy developed in the twentieth century. From the early 1960s to the present, the rate of discovery of new and therapeutically useful classes of antibiotics has significantly decreased. As a result of antibiotic use, novel strains emerge that limit the efficiency of therapies in patients, resulting in serious consequences such as morbidity or mortality, as well as clinical difficulties. Antibiotic resistance has created major concern and has a greater impact on global health. Horizontal and vertical gene transfers are two mechanisms involved in the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) through environmental sources such as wastewater treatment plants, agriculture, soil, manure, and hospital-associated area discharges. Mobile genetic elements have an important part in microbe selection pressure and in spreading their genes into new microbial communities; additionally, it establishes a loop between the environment, animals, and humans. This review contains antibiotics and their resistance mechanisms, diffusion of ARGs, prevention of ARG transmission, tactics involved in microbiome identification, and therapies that aid to minimize infection, which are explored further below. The emergence of ARGs and antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) is an unavoidable threat to global health. The discovery of novel antimicrobial agents derived from natural products shifts the focus from chemical modification of existing antibiotic chemical composition. In the future, metagenomic research could aid in the identification of antimicrobial resistance genes in the environment. Novel therapeutics may reduce infection and the transmission of ARGs.202337589876
6668150.9999Complexities in understanding antimicrobial resistance across domesticated animal, human, and environmental systems. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant threat to both human and animal health. The spread of AMR bacteria and genes across systems can occur through a myriad of pathways, both related and unrelated to agriculture, including via wastewater, soils, manure applications, direct exchange between humans and animals, and food exposure. Tracing origins and drivers of AMR bacteria and genes is challenging due to the array of contexts and the complexity of interactions overlapping health practice, microbiology, genetics, applied science and engineering, as well as social and human factors. Critically assessing the diverse and sometimes contradictory AMR literature is a valuable step in identifying tractable mitigation options to stem AMR spread. In this article we review research on the nonfoodborne spread of AMR, with a focus on domesticated animals and the environment and possible exposures to humans. Attention is especially placed on delineating possible sources and causes of AMR bacterial phenotypes, including underpinning the genetics important to human and animal health.201930924539
6666160.9999Antibiotic residues in poultry products and bacterial resistance: A review in developing countries. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global concern, particularly in poultry farming, where antibiotics are widely used for both disease prevention and growth promotion. This review examines the misuse of antibiotics in poultry production, especially in developing countries, and its contribution to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The findings highlight that factors such as increasing demand for poultry protein, the availability of inexpensive antibiotics, and weak regulatory oversight have led to widespread misuse, accelerating the spread of resistance genes. Although evidence links poultry farming to AMR, significant data gaps remain, especially regarding resistance transmission from poultry to humans. The review underscores the urgent need for stronger regulatory frameworks, phased-out use of antimicrobial growth promoters, and enhanced awareness campaigns to address this issue. Improving the capacity of regulatory bodies and developing more robust national data monitoring systems are essential steps to mitigate the threat of AMR in poultry farming and to protect both animal and human health.202439551017
4003170.9999Antibiotic resistance: Global health crisis and metagenomics. Antibiotic resistance is a global problem which affects human health. The imprudent use of antibiotics (medicine, agriculture, aquaculture, and food industry) has resulted in the broader dissemination of resistance. Urban wastewater & sewage treatment plants act as the hotspot for the widespread of antimicrobial resistance. Natural environment also plays an important role in the dissemination of resistance. Mapping of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGS) in environment is essential for mitigating antimicrobial resistance (AMR) widespread. Therefore, the review article emphasizes on the application of metagenomics for the surveillance of antimicrobial resistance. Metagenomics is the next generation tool which is being used for cataloging the resistome of diverse environments. We summarize the different metagenomic tools that can be used for mining of ARGs and acquired AMR present in the metagenomic data. Also, we recommend application of targeted sequencing/ capture platform for mapping of resistome with higher specificity and selectivity.202133732632
6486180.9999Occurrence of antibiotics and bacterial resistance genes in wastewater: resistance mechanisms and antimicrobial resistance control approaches. Antimicrobial pharmaceuticals are classified as emergent micropollutants of concern, implying that even at low concentrations, long-term exposure to the environment can have significant eco-toxicological effects. There is a lack of a standardized regulatory framework governing the permissible antibiotic content for monitoring environmental water quality standards. Therefore, indiscriminate discharge of antimicrobials at potentially active concentrations into urban wastewater treatment facilities is rampant. Antimicrobials may exert selective pressure on bacteria, leading to resistance development and eventual health consequences. The emergence of clinically important multiple antibiotic-resistant bacteria in untreated hospital effluents and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) has been linked to the continuous exposure of bacteria to antimicrobials. The levels of environmental exposure to antibiotics and their correlation to the evolution and spread of resistant bacteria need to be elucidated to help in the formulation of mitigation measures. This review explores frequently detected antimicrobials in wastewater and gives a comprehensive coverage of bacterial resistance mechanisms to different antibiotic classes through the expression of a wide variety of antibiotic resistance genes either inherent and/or exchanged among bacteria or acquired from the reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in wastewater systems. To complement the removal of antibiotics and ARGs from WWTPs, upscaling the implementation of prospective interventions such as vaccines, phage therapy, and natural compounds as alternatives to widespread antibiotic use provides a multifaceted approach to minimize the spread of antimicrobial resistance.202235781751
6468190.9999Impact of anthropogenic activities on the dissemination of antibiotic resistance across ecological boundaries. Antibiotics are considered to be one of the major medical breakthroughs in history. Nonetheless, over the past four decades, antibiotic resistance has reached alarming levels worldwide and this trend is expected to continue to increase, leading some experts to forecast the coming of a 'post-antibiotic' era. Although antibiotic resistance in pathogens is traditionally linked to clinical environments, there is a rising concern that the global propagation of antibiotic resistance is also associated with environmental reservoirs that are linked to anthropogenic activities such as animal husbandry, agronomic practices and wastewater treatment. It is hypothesized that the emergence and dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs) within and between environmental microbial communities can ultimately contribute to the acquisition of antibiotic resistance in human pathogens. Nonetheless, the scope of this phenomenon is not clear due to the complexity of microbial communities in the environment and methodological constraints that limit comprehensive in situ evaluation of microbial genomes. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge regarding antibiotic resistance in non-clinical environments, specifically focusing on the dissemination of antibiotic resistance across ecological boundaries and the contribution of this phenomenon to global antibiotic resistance.201728258226