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Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, fungi, and parasites evolve over time and no longer respond to antibiotics that treat infections. When this occurs, the infection persists and increases the risk of being spread.

‘One Health’ is an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to optimise the health of people, animals, and the environment. It calls for the coordinated design and implementation of programs, policies, legislation, and research across multiple sectors to achieve better health outcomes.

Antimicrobial resistance is a problem not only for humans, but also for animals and the environment. Today, the same antibiotics are used to treat human and animal infections, with more than half of global antibiotic use in livestock. Emissions of antimicrobials-and drug-resistant bacteria from livestock production, aquaculture, sewage, pharmaceutical manufacturing and urban activities also provide potential sources for the spread of AMR, making it an issue that requires a One Health approach.

Bacterial resistance occurs when bacteria develop the ability to survive the drugs designed to kill them, making bacterial infections difficult to treat. Antimicrobial resistance is a naturally occurring process but is accelerated through a combination of different factors.

Bacteria develop resistance using four methods:

1. They keep the antibiotic out.
2. Remove the antibiotic if it gets in.
3. Change the antibiotic target.
4. Destroy or modify the antibiotic.

Read more about it in this article written by our Centre Director, published in The Conversation.

Animals and pets can be affected by antibiotic resistance. Resistant bacteria can transfer between animals and people who come into contact.