The potential of using E. coli as an indicator for the surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the environment
Muna F. Anjum, Heike Schmitt, Stefan Börjesson, Thomas U. Berendonk, Erica Donner, Eliana Guedes Stehling, Patrick Boerlin, Edward Topp, Claire M. Jardine, Xuewen Li, Bing Li, Monika Dolejská, Jean-Yves Madec, Christophe Dagot, Sebastian Guenther, Fiona Walsh, Laura Villa, Kees Veldman, Marianne Sunde, Paweł Krzemiński, Dariusz Wasyl, Magdalena Popowska, Josef D. Järhult, Stefan Örn, Olfa Mahjoub, Wejdène Mansour, Đinh Nho Thái, Josefine Elving, Karl Pedersen
Abstract
To understand the dynamics of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), in a One-Health perspective, surveillance play an important role. Monitoring systems already exist in the human health and livestock sectors, but there are no environmental monitoring programs. Therefore there is an urgent need to initiate environmental AMR monitoring programs nationally and globally, which will complement existing systems in different sectors. However, environmental programs should not only identify anthropogenic influences and levels of AMR, but they should also allow for identification of transmissions to and from human and animal populations. In the current review we therefore propose using antimicrobial resistant Escherichia coli as indicators for monitoring occurrence and levels of AMR in the environment, including wildlife.