On December 11, 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), along with the United Kingdom Science and Innovation Network and the Wellcome Trust, released Initiatives for Addressing Antimicrobial Resistance in the Environment. The corresponding reports—an Executive Summary and a technical white paper—highlight data identifying the potential for the environment (e.g., soil and water) to be a source of antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) germs that can affect human health.
The reports highlight the need for more research to address knowledge gaps and evaluate the potential risk that antimicrobials and resistant germs in the environment pose to human health. The reports highlight these knowledge gaps and measures that could be most important for mitigating risks.
As a shared global challenge, it is necessary to better understand risks, prioritize action, and cultivate a collaborative global approach to AMR in the environment. The reports are an outcome of a co-hosted International Environmental AMR Forum, which included international technical experts, government officials, and other key stakeholders in Vancouver, Canada in April 2018. The main topics covered were human and animal waste, pharmaceutical manufacturing waste, and use of antimicrobial pesticides for crops.
