World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2022
Rebecca Barksby
Abstract
On Nov 17, the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) hosted a webinar with presentations on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region. Sandra Castro (UNEP, Montevideo, Uruguay) discussed how AMR genes are introduced to the environment in LAC countries. 30% of the land in LAC is used for livestock production and studies have found high levels of AMR genes in the soil due to excessive antibiotic use in animals and subsequent faecal contamination of crops. However, the transmission between AMR genes in the environment and humans is poorly understood for LAC and the effect of climate change—particularly increased rainfall—on gene dissemination is undetermined.
Topics & Concepts
LivestockLatin AmericansAntibiotic resistanceAntimicrobialTransmission (telecommunications)Climate changeBiologyBiotechnologyEnvironmental protectionGeographyEcologyAntibioticsPolitical scienceMicrobiologyEngineeringElectrical engineeringLawPharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental ImpactsAntibiotic Use and Resistance