When does environmental antimicrobial resistance become a health risk?

Environmental antimicrobial resistance becomes a health risk only when resistant bacteria overcome ecological and transmission barriers to reach and colonize hosts.

• Why it matters: Understanding when AMR poses a genuine health threat is crucial for effective risk assessment and intervention strategies. Current knowledge gaps hinder accurate evaluation of AMR's impact on human and animal health.
• What they did: The authors developed a framework that integrates exposure, evolution, transmission, and ecology to assess AMR risks across One Health compartments, providing a comprehensive approach.
• The result: This framework offers a realistic basis for determining when environmental AMR constitutes a meaningful health risk, aiding targeted mitigation efforts.