Editorial: Antimicrobial resistance in the water environment

Abstract

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) has been raised as important for the international agenda. AMR is not only an immediate major threat to global health but also impacts global economies. More than 700,000 people worldwide die each year because of AMR resistance. While the relative role of the environment is unclear at this stage, an important first step is to identify hotspots of AMR spread and human exposure, and explore (via modeling) possible benefits of actions aimed to cut/reduce the load of AMR agents into various environments. The Journal of Water and Health will publish a Special Issue related to AMR in the water environment, in which seven papers feature a mixture of primary research, reviews and commentaries, including, but not limited to the detection, monitoring and surveillance of AMR genes in various water types, sewage, activated sludge and in wastewater reuse. The occurrence and distribution of antimicrobials, antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes was determined by a variety of techniques using the latest information available in both developing and developed countries.