Antibiotic resistance threatens human and animal health

Antibiotic resistance is now one of the most serious threats to global health, causing millions of deaths each year and generating colossal economic losses. In 2019, nearly five million deaths worldwide were linked to resistant bacterial infections, with over one million directly attributable to this resistance. By 2050, this phenomenon could cost the global economy between $1 trillion and $3.4 trillion per year, while significantly increasing healthcare expenditures.

This crisis is not limited to humans. Livestock, pets, wildlife, and environments such as wastewater or soils play a key role in the spread of resistant bacteria and resistance genes. Bacteria can indeed be transmitted between species through direct contact, food, or the environment. For example, hospital effluents, animal waste, or agricultural runoff carry resistance genes that contaminate food chains and water resources. Livestock, often treated with antibiotics to promote growth or prevent disease, thus become major reservoirs of resistant bacteria. These can then infect humans through the consumption of meat, milk, or eggs, or through contact with carrier animals.

The transmission mechanisms are complex. Some resistance genes, such as those conferring resistance to colistin or carbapenems, spread rapidly between bacteria through mobile genetic elements. These genes can jump from one bacterial species to another, accelerating the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains. Pets, such as dogs and cats, are not spared. Studies show that resistant bacteria, like Staphylococcus aureus resistant to methicillin, can be transmitted between animals and their owners, creating a risk of bidirectional contamination.

Low- and middle-income countries are particularly affected. In these regions, the unregulated use of antibiotics in both human and veterinary medicine worsens the situation. Surveillance systems are often fragmented, and insufficient wastewater treatment infrastructure promotes the dissemination of resistance genes into the environment. Agricultural waste, rich in antibiotics and resistant bacteria, contaminates soils and waterways, exposing local populations to increased risks. Wild animals, in contact with polluted environments, can also become vectors of resistance, although their exact role in transmission to humans remains poorly understood.

Solutions exist, but their implementation remains uneven. Recent advances in genomic sequencing, metagenomics, and artificial intelligence provide powerful tools for monitoring antibiotic resistance, detecting threats early, and discovering new biological markers. However, these technologies, which are expensive and complex, remain largely inaccessible to resource-limited countries. In these contexts, priorities focus on tailored solutions, such as rapid and affordable diagnostics, integrated surveillance systems, and awareness campaigns for the responsible use of antibiotics.

Public policies play a crucial role. Many countries have adopted national action plans to combat antibiotic resistance, but their implementation often remains incomplete due to a lack of funding or coordination between human, animal, and environmental health sectors. A unified approach, known as One Health, is essential to strengthen surveillance, harmonize detection methods, and share data across these different fields. Without this collaboration, efforts to curb the spread of resistant bacteria will remain in vain.

Technological innovations, such as vaccines, phage therapies, or biomarker-based diagnostics, open new avenues to reduce dependence on antibiotics. Yet, their large-scale deployment faces economic and logistical obstacles, particularly in developing countries. The challenge, therefore, is no longer so much about developing new technologies as it is about making them accessible, affordable, and adapted to local realities.

Antibiotic resistance is a systemic problem that requires a coordinated response. Without concerted action, its expansion will continue to threaten human, animal, and environmental health, with devastating consequences for future generations.

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About This Study

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12982-026-02244-y

Title: Deciphering antimicrobial resistance threats at the animal human interface for one health based AMR mitigation

Journal: Discover Public Health

Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Authors: S. Parthiban; K. S. Indhumathi; R. Sunil Palival; S. Gomathi; M. Parthiban; K. Porteen; B. Nishanth; S. Pushkala; S. Nithya Sree; S. Sathesh Kumar