Antimicrobial Resistance : the environmental element
Stage in GSE Lifecyle
Primary stage : Maintain
Related stage(s) : Define/Design | Create | Evaluate | Builds Capability
The Environment Agency, UK Health Security Agency and Defra are piloting how to deliver antimicrobial resistance surveillance in the environment as part of the ‘PATHogen Surveillance in Agriculture, Food, and the Environment (PATH-SAFE)’ programme.
Antimicrobials are traditionally associated with the clinical use of antibiotics to protect human and animal health. Antifungals and antibiotics are also used for crop protection. However, the presence and pathways of antimicrobial substances and resistant organisms are not limited to the intended spaces (e.g., a hospital or farmyard): they can enter our environment directly and indirectly through waste management.
We need to understand the role that the environment plays in the development, maintenance, and transport of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). We also need to understand the impact of AMR on environmental ecosystems.
This project will test a comprehensive range of methodologies to examine AMR bacteria, fungi, and antimicrobial agents in the environment. Using a whole catchment approach, we will sample different environmental matrices (including river water, bioaerosols, shellfish, bathing waters) to capture the data needed to assess the impact of the environmental aspect of transmission and development of AMR. This will help us to understand the complex role that the environment plays in the dissemination of resistance and build a true “One Health” approach to AMR/
Computer generated image of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a type of bacteria resistant to several widely used antibiotics.
Team
Chief Scientists Group
Department(s)
Environment Agency
Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
Contact Details
Dr Wiebke Schmidt