Browsing by Author "Weaver L"

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    Antimicrobial Resistance in New Zealand—A One Health Perspective
    (1/06/2022) Pattis I; Weaver L; Burgess S; Ussher JE; Dyet K
    Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an increasing global threat that affects human, animal and, often less acknowledged, environmental health. This complex issue requires a multisectoral One Health approach to address the interconnectedness of humans, animals and the natural environment. The prevalence of AMR in these reservoirs varies widely among countries and thus often requires a country-specific approach. In New Zealand (NZ), AMR and antimicrobial usage in humans are relatively well-monitored and-understood, with high human use of antimicrobials and the frequency of resistant pathogens increasing in hospitals and the community. In contrast, on average, NZ is a low user of antimicrobials in animal husbandry systems with low rates of AMR in food-producing animals. AMR in New Zealand’s environment is little understood, and the role of the natural environment in AMR transmission is unclear. Here, we aimed to provide a summary of the current knowledge on AMR in NZ, addressing all three components of the One Health triad with a particular focus on environmental AMR. We aimed to identify knowledge gaps to help develop research strategies, especially towards mitigating AMR in the environment, the often-neglected part of the One Health triad.
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    Effects of selected emerging contaminants found in wastewater on antimicrobial resistance and horizontal gene transfer
    (Elsevier B.V., 2023-08-29) van Hamelsveld S; Jamali-Behnam F; Alderton I; Kurenbach B; McCabe AW; Palmer BR; Gutiérrez-Ginés MJ; Weaver L; Horswell J; Tremblay LA; Heinemann JA
    The widespread use of emerging contaminants (ECs) may be compounding the problem of antibiotic resistance. Various non-antibiotic pollutants have been shown to alter bacterial responses to antibiotics and increase horizontal transfer of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes. ECs include components of medicines, foods, disinfectants, personal care products and agrichemicals. ECs concentrate in some environments such as in wastewater, where the pollutants and pathogenic microorganisms mix. We investigated the effects on antibiotic resistance and gene transfer of nine ECs and one commercial product formulation (Roundup). We used the bacterium Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and the antibiotics ampicillin and gentamicin as indicators of the effects of antibiotic-EC co-exposures. We measured intra- (Escherichia coli) and interspecies (E. coli x S. enterica) conjugation frequencies during exposure to ECs. Interestingly, the observed effect could change at different antibiotic concentrations. Exposures to increasing concentrations of ECs was associated with increased conjugative transmission within species, but rarely increased interspecies transmission. We report the first test ever of clotrimazole on AMR and horizontal gene transfer and a newly described effect of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), often used as a solvent for organic compounds.
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    The role of emerging organic contaminants in the development of antimicrobial resistance
    (KeAi Communications Co. Ltd. Publishing services by Elsevier BV on behalf of KeAi Communications Co Ltd, 2021-08-05) Alderton I; Palmer BR; Heinemann JA; Pattis I; Weaver L; Gutiérrez-Ginés MJ; Horswell J; Tremblay LA
    Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threatens human and ecological health worldwide. Unless major changes occur across the human, animal and environmental sectors, the problem will continue to expand. An important component of AMR that deserves greater attention is the influence of emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) – ubiquitous compounds found, amongst others, in pharmaceuticals, personal care products, food, industrial and agricultural products, plastics and building materials. EOCs are widely used and can accumulate in the environment from varied sources, predominantly via waste streams. EOCs can interact with microbial communities potentially leading to the emergence and spread of AMR. Biocides and pharmaceuticals have been demonstrated to promote AMR development. Antimicrobial resistance is a multi-faceted problem that requires input from all sectors, with robust strategies and policies needed to make headway with solving the issues of this important threat.