In order to contribute to the assessment of public health risks of multiple antibiotic resistance in the environment, the project investigates the relevance of different sources of antimicrobial resistance in the environment , and the role of the environment as transmission route for resistance.

The field investigations will focus on the most relevant sources of resistance: animal manure and human (hospital) waste water. In this project, culturing techniques and molecular investigations are combined. Resistance will be studied by culturing of indicator organisms, such as multiple resistant E. coli or hospital-related Enterococci. In the isolates, the molecular organization of resistance can be studied. In addition, molecular methods will be applied to retrieve resistance genes independent from their hosts (including resistance genes and mobile genetic elements).

Antibiotic resistant bacteria have increased in both the human population and intensive animal husbandry. Very little is known about the role of the environment in the occurrence and fate of antibiotic resistant genes and resistant bacteria. Furthermore, the public health relevance of the occurrence of resistant bacteria in the environment is largely unknown. The monitoring of resistant bacteria from sources such as hospital sewage, sewage treatment plants and animal sources (manure) allows for an estimation of the possible spread of resistant bacteria and resistant genes to aquatic and terrestrial environments and finally to the community.

Linking two worlds: The effects of veterinary antibiotics on microbial communities - human and environmental health