Antibiotic resistance genes: An emerging environmental pollutant

Abstract

Antibiotics are the most effective group of antimicrobial drugs used for humans and veterinary therapy, but it is a rising trouble for the modern healthcare. However, the maximum use of antibiotics may be introducing the emergence and development of antibiotic resistance bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), which increase the dissemination of resistance bacteria and genes in clinical and nonclinical environments. Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) and mobile genetic elements like plasmids, transposons and integrons are facilitating the environmental dissemination of the ARGs. The main source of antibiotics spreading is the uncontrolled uses of antibiotics, are not only used for the human therapy but it is widely used for the agricultural and livestock farming purposes. ARBs and ARGs have been extensively detected in wastewater, agricultural soil, animal manure and hospital waste, so that they must be consider as environment pollutant as well and that can contaminate the natural environment. This chapter gives an overview on the impact of antibiotics and antibiotics resistance genes as an environmental pollutant in different environment.