Antimicrobial resistant genes and organisms as environmental contaminants of emerging concern: Addressing global public health risks

Antimicrobial agents are an essential part of the global health care system. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threatens their utility and is an ever-growing public health problem. The “One Health” approach is a cornerstone of public health and involves including human, animal, and environmental health into the analysis of the problem and into proposed solutions at local, national, and global scales. However, environmental health has been overlooked in the action plans, policies, and regulations used to address AMR. This chapter discusses the current research related to environmental AMR and the challenges related to risk assessment, surveillance, and incorporating environmental AMR into existing legal frameworks, regulations, public health actions plans, and global partnerships that aim to combat AMR.