Abstract
Upon their discovery, antibiotics were known as “wonder drugs” due to their ability to cure serious bacterial infections. While antibiotics are still revolutionary in healthcare today, the emergence of antibiotic resistance is a growing threat to public health. Antibiotic resistance is simply a normal adaptive response where bacteria evolve over time. However, overuse of antibiotics, sub-optimal treatment regimens, and environmental exposures create optimal conditions for antibiotic resistance to develop and spread. Common ways antibiotics enter the environment are via wastewater and agricultural use. Even with properly functioning wastewater treatment systems, full removal of resistant bacteria may not be possible as many have been found in natural bodies of water. Within the agricultural ecosystem, bacteria exhibiting antibiotic resistance may be pathogenic to humans. The growing issue of antibiotic resistance demonstrates that addressing environmental exposures now is imperative for the future prevention of development and halting the spread of resistant strains.
Recommended Citation
Hinrichs, H. Resisting the resistance: how the environment is impacting antibiotic resistance. BUHealth. 2023; 1(1). https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/buhealth/vol1/iss1/3.
Antibiotic Resistance: A Global Threat to Healthcare Infographic