Plasmid-Borne Antibiotic Resistance Genes

Dear Colleagues,

Overprescription and the increase in medical and agricultural runoff have led to an accumulation of antibiotics in natural environments, exposing bacterial populations to antibiotics and thereby promoting the development and spread of resistance. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared antimicrobial resistance as an urgent global public health threat against the effective prevention and treatment of an ever-increasing number of infections caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses, and fungi. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that antimicrobial resistance kills at least 1.27 million people worldwide and has been associated with nearly 5 million deaths in 2019. According to the CDC, in the U.S., more than 2.8 million anti-microbial resistant infections have occurred each year, resulting in more than 35,000 deaths. Antibiotics are among the most prescribed drugs used in human medicine and the use of antibiotics is the single most important factor leading to antibiotic resistance around the world. Antibiotic resistance genes can either be encoded on bacterial genomes or bacteria can carry plasmids that encode antibiotic resistance genes. This Special Issue focuses on plasmid-borne antibiotic resistance genes and their spread in hospital settings, agriculture, as well as natural environments. Additionally, manuscripts that focus on how the spread of plasmid-borne antibiotic resistance genes has resulted in failure to control bacterial infections in both human and veterinary medicine are welcome. We welcome papers that cover the following areas:

1. Plasmid-mediated antibiotic resistance in Enterobacteriaceae;
2. The spread of antibiotic resistance in Gram-positive bacteria;
3. The spread of antibiotic resistance in the natural environments;
4. Healthcare waste and its role in spread of antibiotic resistance;
5. The use of antibiotics in agriculture and its impact on antibiotic-resistant infections in cattle;
6. Antibiotic-resistant infections in nosocomial settings.

Prof. Dr. Samina Akbar
Dr. Azeem Ahmad
Guest Editors

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