Trend Environmental AMR transmission via untreated wastewater

Summary

In its short-term outlook, the report expects more transmission of resistant microbes through the environment. Human exposure to untreated wastewater is singled out as a particular route. The report explains that AMR already spreads drug-resistant strains and genes not only between people and animals but also through the environment. It adds that curbing overuse and regulating clinical and industrial discharges would reduce antimicrobials entering wastewater and cut pollution. Linking AMR to biodiversity loss, the report observes that overused antimicrobial components entering wastewater affect aquatic life, and it also points out that poor sanitation among people displaced by disasters can fuel resistance.