This study systematically analyzes how climate change facilitates the emergence and spread of drug-resistant pathogens, emphasizes the importance of adopting a One Health Approach, and provides new perspectives for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) research.
Literature Overview
This article titled 'Antimicrobial Resistance in the Era of Climate Change: Why We Should All Embrace and Integrate the One Health Approach in Clinical Practice?' published in the journal Antibiotics reviews and summarizes the complex relationship between climate change and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), proposing the necessity of integrating the One Health Approach in clinical and public health practices.
Background Knowledge
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become one of the global top ten public health threats, projected to cause 10 million annual deaths by 2050. AMR development involves multiple mechanisms, including target modification, antibiotic inactivation, efflux pump activation, and reduced membrane permeability, where biofilm formation and horizontal gene transfer (HGT) play critical roles in spreading resistance genes. Climate change exacerbates environmental dissemination of resistance genes through temperature rise, extreme weather events (e.g., floods, droughts), and air pollution, impacting water systems, agriculture, and food chains. Additionally, improper use of disinfectants and antimicrobials synergizes with antibiotic resistance development. Hospitals, agriculture, livestock, and communities are high-risk AMR transmission environments, with low-income countries facing more severe challenges due to inadequate healthcare infrastructure and antibiotic misuse. This study further highlights that AMR prevention and control must integrate human, animal, and environmental health through the One Health framework to achieve sustainable development and public health security.
Research Methods and Experiments
This study employs a narrative review approach to systematically analyze molecular mechanisms of AMR, biofilm formation, environmental factors, and climate change impacts on drug resistance. It summarizes resistance drivers across different scenarios including hospitals, agriculture, and livestock. The research also evaluates global AMR data, examining correlations between regional resistance trends and climate variables, as well as resistance gene transmission patterns during extreme climate events.
Key Conclusions and Perspectives
Research Significance and Prospects
The study provides systematic evidence for the intersection between AMR and climate change, emphasizing future research should integrate multi-omics and environmental monitoring technologies to track dynamic resistance gene transmission pathways. It also recommends policy reforms, education programs, and technological innovations to reduce antibiotic misuse, enhance environmental management, and strengthen global AMR surveillance systems.
Conclusion
This study establishes that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is not merely a medical issue but a multifactorial outcome involving climate change and environmental management. Extreme climate events, greenhouse gas emissions, and antibiotic overuse collectively drive resistance gene dissemination, with hospitals and livestock sectors serving as primary AMR hotspots. Integrating human, animal, and environmental health through the One Health Approach offers effective solutions to curb global AMR spread. Future research must prioritize long-term climate impacts on resistant microorganisms and develop interdisciplinary collaboration mechanisms to achieve global health security.
