Book description
Examines effects of the environmental distribution of antimicrobial
resistance genes on human health and the ecosystem
Resistance genes are everywhere in nature-in pathogens, commensals,
and environmental microorganisms. This contributed work shows how the
environment plays a pivotal role in the development of antimicrobial
resistance traits in bacteria and the distribution of resistant
microbial species, resistant genetic material, and antibiotic
compounds. Readers will discover the impact of the distribution in the
environment of antimicrobial resistance genes and antibiotics on both
the ecosystem and human and animal health.
Antimicrobial Resistance in the Environment is divided into four parts:
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Part I, Sources, including ecological and clinical consequences
of antibiotic resistance by environmental microbes
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Part II, Fate, including strategies to assess and minimize the
biological risk of antibiotic resistance in the environment
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Part III, Antimicrobial Substances and Resistance, including
antibiotics in the aquatic environment
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Part IV, Effects and Risks, including the effect of
antimicrobials used for non-human purposes on human health
Recognizing the intricate links among overlapping complex systems,
this book examines antimicrobial resistance using a comprehensive
ecosystem approach. Moreover, the book's multidisciplinary framework
applies principles of microbiology, environmental toxicology, and
chemistry to assess the human and ecological risks associated with
exposure to antibiotics or antibiotic resistance genes that are
environmental contaminants.
Each chapter has been written by one or more leading researchers in
such fields as microbiology, environmental science, ecology, and
toxicology. Comprehensive reference lists at the end of all chapters
serve as a gateway to the primary research in the field.
Presenting and analyzing the latest findings in a field of growing
importance to human and environmental health, this text offers readers
new insights into the role of the environment in antimicrobial
resistance development, the dissemination of antimicrobial resistant
genetic elements, and the transport of antibiotic resistance genes and antibiotics.
