Topic: Antibiotic Resistance: Exposure Pathways and Human Health Risk Assessment

This Special Issue, entitled "Antibiotic Resistance: Exposure Pathways and Human Health Risk Assessment," focuses on the critical and growing issue of antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance has been recognized for decades as a major threat to public health, as it compromises the effectiveness of antibiotics and poses significant risks to treatment outcomes for infectious diseases. Despite this awareness, there are still substantial gaps in our understanding of the pathways through which humans are exposed to antibiotics, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and antibiotic resistance genes, as well as the associated health risks.

Antibiotics, antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes can be found in various environments, including soil, water, and food, leading to potential exposure through multiple routes. These pathways can include direct contact with contaminated surfaces, consumption of contaminated food and water, and interaction with environments where resistant bacteria are prevalent, such as healthcare settings and agricultural sites. Understanding these exposure pathways is crucial for assessing the risks to human health and developing effective mitigation strategies.

This Special Issue will delve into the diverse exposure pathways of antibiotics, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and antibiotic resistance genes, and the subsequent human health risks. Research that integrates exposure data into health risk assessments, regulatory considerations, or communication strategies is of particular interest.

Potential topics include:
1. Pathways of exposure to antibiotics, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and antibiotic resistance genes from environmental sources (e.g., water, soil, food);
2. Assessment of human health risks associated with these exposure pathways;
3. Spatial and temporal distributions of antibiotic resistance in various environments;
4. Interpretation of exposure data in health and/or regulatory contexts;
5. Risk/benefit analyses related to antibiotic use and resistance;
6. Approaches to communication regarding antibiotic resistance and its impacts on public health use.

Antibiotic resistance, exposure pathways, spatial and temporal distributions, exposure data; human health risk, public health

31 Dec 2024