Antibiotics and Antibiotic resistance determinants: an undesired element in the environment

The rapid development of resistance in bacteria is an evolutionary response to the selective pressure of antibiotics and results from natural selection. It is established that microbial adaptation evolves, and the cause for the development of antibiotic resistance is the widespread misuse of antibiotics. Pollution of the environment by antibiotic resistance genes can increase the chances of human pathogens for acquiring resistance. The release of residues containing human microbiota into environments containing bacteria enriched in resistance elements increases the possibility of acquiring novel resistance determinants by human-linked bacteria. The spread of resistance genes in natural ecosystems can challenge the population dynamics and the physiology of natural microbial populations. Active stewardship is needed to avoid gene flow to and from environmental resistance reservoirs. In this chapter, we discuss the dissemination of antibiotics resistance genes (ARGs) and antibiotics resistance bacteria (ARB) in the environment, with emphasis on how these elements interact with and affect the health and general wellbeing of human and natural ecosystems.