About this Research Topic

Background

The emergence of antimicrobial resistance is a seminally important public health concern. Significant progress has been made in recent years regarding an understanding of the genetic and biochemical basis for antimicrobial resistance, the emergence of resistance genes, and factors promoting their widespread dissemination including the role of lateral gene transfer. Nevertheless, there is a dearth of information regarding the key ‘hotspots’ and genetic mechanisms responsible for resistance development, and the exposure routes leading to the failure of antimicrobial agents important in human and animal medicine. There is thus an urgent need for research to provide governments, public health stakeholders, and the agricultural sector the knowledge required to develop policies and practices that effectively mitigate resistance development. This, within a growing recognition that humans, animals and the environment must be considered as intimately linked together if any resistance management strategy is to be successful.

Animal species (wildlife, domestic) are in close contact with soil and water, natural reservoirs of microbiota harboring resistance genes. In turn, the use of manures as fertilizers for crop production is a potentially important source for environmental contamination of resistance genes selected for and enriched in the animal. A better understanding of the significance of animal and environmental reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance, and factors leading to the emergence and dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in agricultural production systems is a priority.

The international Symposium on Antimicrobial Resistance in Animals and the Environment (ARAE), created by scientists from INRAE (National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment, France), is organized since 2005 on a biennial basis. This symposium brings together approximately 150 scientists from all over the world.

The aim of the ARAE conference is to present a global vision of the impact of antibiotic use and resistance in the animal world, its environment and consecutive repercussion on human health. During six sessions, all aspects related to epidemiology of antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens with a zoonotic potential, mobile elements containing resistance genes, emerging antimicrobial resistance mechanisms, resistome of microbiotas, and the role of the environment as dissemination routes and potential source of resistance genes transfer are discussed.

In this Research Topic, we welcome submission of all Frontiers in Microbiology article types (Original Research, Methods, Review, Mini Review, Hypothesis and Theory, Perspective, Opinion), that are within the scope of the following subtopics, corresponding to the ARAE 2023 sessions, detailed in the following link: arae2023.symposium.inrae.fr/pre-program

1. Monitoring and molecular epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance

2. Roles of the environment in resistance evolution and transmission

3. Mechanisms and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance in animal and zoonotic pathogens

4. Novel approaches, methods and tools dedicated to antimicrobial resistance (detection, evolution, diagnostics, surveillance)

5. Understanding the connection of antimicrobial resistance between Animals and Humans

6. Open themes related to antimicrobial resistance

For more information about the event, please access the website

Keywords: Antimicrobial resistance, animal and zoonotic bacteria, epidemiology, environment, resistance mechanisms, transfer mechanisms, detection, diagnosis, surveillance.

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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