Perhaps the single biggest emerging threat to health worldwide is multi-drug-resistant pathogens and the consequent loss of effective therapies to fight infections. Antibiotic overuse is a main driver of resistance but recently it has been shown that exposure to emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) can also promote antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
The environment is key in the spread of AMR as increasing quantities of EOCs are being released via storm water, agricultural, municipal and industrial waste effluents. These wastes provide “hot spots that can be enriched with enteric bacteria, nutrients and contaminants that can provide a selection pressure for the development of resistance.
As part of an MBIE research program into managing the risks of EOCs in NZ, we have been investigating which EOCs are of most concern in terms of promoting AMR.
Initial research has confirmed that exposure to EOCs can induce or select for bacterial adaptations that result in decreased susceptibility to one or more antibiotics. We have also determined that EOCs differ in their ability to promote antibiotic resistance, of the EOCs tested so far, results indicate that the biocide Triclosan is the EOC of highest concern.