The Requirement of Genetic Diagnostic Technologies for Environmental Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is threatening modern medicine. While the primary cost of AMR is paid in the healthcare domain, the agricultural and environmental domains are also reservoirs of resistant microorganisms and hence perpetual sources of AMR infections in humans. Consequently, the World Health Organisation and other international agencies are calling for surveillance of AMR in all three domains to guide intervention and risk reduction strategies. Technologies for detecting AMR that have been developed for healthcare settings are not immediately transferable to environmental and agricultural settings, and limited dialogue between the domains has hampered opportunities for cross-fertilisation to develop modified or new technologies. In this feature, we discuss the limitations of currently available AMR sensing technologies used in the clinic for sensing in other environments, and what is required to overcome these limitations.

Exploring the Interplay of the CRISPR-CAS System with Antibiotic Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus: A Poultry Meat Study from Lahore, Pakistan

“…Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacteria is a natural phenomenon [10], considered to be a significant health threat, and the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria needs up-to-date treatment protocols [11,12]. According to a reported economic study, the number of fatalities associated with antibiotic-resistant microbes will increase exponentially from 700,000 per year in 2015 to 10 million per year in 2050 [13]. This shows that resistant microbes will cause a higher death rate in comparison to that of cancer, road accidents, and diabetes [14].…”

Addressing a future pandemic: how can non-biological complex drugs prepare us for antimicrobial resistance threats?

“…6 Our ability to manage AMR risks is limited by lack of knowledge and poor surveillance. 6,7 Furthermore, AMR is not only limited to the health domain; it is also closely connected to the agricultural and environmental domains, calling for a One Health approach for tackling the spread of AMR. 7,8 The World Health Organization anticipates that AMR infections alone will lead to over 10 million human deaths annually by 2050, 2 likely overtaking the cumulative mortality rate of all cancers combined.…”

“…6,7 Furthermore, AMR is not only limited to the health domain; it is also closely connected to the agricultural and environmental domains, calling for a One Health approach for tackling the spread of AMR. 7,8 The World Health Organization anticipates that AMR infections alone will lead to over 10 million human deaths annually by 2050, 2 likely overtaking the cumulative mortality rate of all cancers combined. Additionally, in contrast to more deadly non-infectious diseases such as ischaemic heart disease and stroke, the threat of untreatable infectious diseases is arguably far greater threat to our social fabric.…”