Antimicrobial Resistance

AMR Infographic. — Source: American Society for Microbiology

Adaptation is a natural consequence of exposure to antimicrobials that makes antimicrobial resistance (decreased sensitivity to antimicrobial agents) inevitable and irreversible. The overuse of antimicrobial agents in medicine, production of food animals and crop protection have caused increasing resistance to those agents.

As existing antimicrobial agents decline in effectiveness, infections will be more difficult and expensive to treat and epidemics harder to control. The World Health Organization (WHO) projects the terrifying prospect of 10 million AMR-related deaths per year globally by 2050.

Key Causes of AMR:

Over-prescription of antimicrobials.
Shortened courses or incomplete compliance with antimicrobial treatment.
Antimicrobial overuse in livestock and fish farming.
Poor infection control in health care settings.
Poor hygiene and sanitation.
Limited discovery of new antimicrobials.

AMR genes are incredibly promiscuous, circulating through humans, animals, plants and the environment, and implementing a One Health approach is key to combatting the spread of resistance.

Browse Antimicrobial Agents & Resistance Content

Laboratory Updates

Clinical breakpoints for antimicrobial susceptibility testing must change over time.

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Policy to Combat AMR

ASM recommends steps for policymakers that prioritize science and the roles of microbiologists to combat AMR.

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ASM Journals

Read the latest AMR research across ASM's 18 academic journals.

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Understanding the Problem

Article Biosafety Education Inside and Outside the Lab

Implementing proper handling, transport, storage and disposal of contagious organisms can help combat AMR.

Article The Gut Resistome and the Spread of AMR

Fighting the spread of AMR requires identifying reservoirs of resistant organisms. Where should scientists look? The gut is a good place to start.

Factsheet AMR in Agriculture

Global antimicrobial use in the agriculture sector is estimated to be over 60,000 tons annually. As we move into an era of antimicrobial stewardship, we will need to balance productivity and innovation with safety.

Conferences 2023 ASM/ESCMID Joint Conference

ASM and the European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases will host a joint conference on drug development to meet the challenge of AMR on Sept. 19-22, 2023, in Boston, Mass.

Public Policy

Legislative Statements

The American Society for Microbiology actively works with federal and global partners to advance legislation to combat AMR and other health threats.

CDC Investments in AMR

Developing Solutions

Podcasts Discovering New Antibiotics

How are we discovering new antibiotics in the 21st and how is science responding to the antibiotic crisis?

Articles Fighting Foodborne Pathogens with Natural Antimicrobials

Foodborne illness is a serious public health concern. Natural antimicrobials from plants (essential oils) and bacteria (bacteriocins) can help ward off food-borne pathogens and spoilage microbes.

Articles Antibiotic Adjuvants for Combatting Antimicrobial Resistance

Used alongside antibiotics to minimize or block bacterial resistance, antibiotic adjuvants are key for preserving the activity of existing drugs amidst the rising threat of antimicrobial resistance.

Article Building Global Lab Capacity

GPHP officer Maritza Urrego shares her plans and goals for ASM's latest AMR program in Brazil & Mexico focused on macrolide-resistant B. pertussis.

Hear From Experts

Podcasts

In this excerpt from This Week In Microbiology (TWiM), Columbia University Professor Vincent Racaniello, Ph.D. hosts a discussion of the frightening global burden of bacterial antibiotic resistance.

Amy Mathers, M.D., an associate professor of medicine and pathology at the University of Virginia, studies how drug-resistant bacteria can reside in hospital sinks and what simple steps make hospitals safer for patients. Mathers also discusses her work on Klebsiella, a bacterial pathogen for the modern era.

EiC invites trainees, who will be the next generation of outstanding researchers in the field of AMR, to discuss pathways to work on antimicrobial resistance.

Azeem Ahmad, Ph.D. answers the most pressing questions about antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and shares his perspective on how humanity can address and overcome this crisis.

Panel Discussions

Join experts in antimicrobial agents and resistance (AAR) for a discussion on the latest issues impacting the field. Each quarter, panelists will gather for a 1-hour virtual panel discussion on a predetermined topic. This quarterly panel is free for ASM members.

Antimicrobial Agents and Resistance Discussions

Antimicrobial Stewardship

Webinars Antimicrobial Stewardship: Partnerships between the Lab, Physicians and Pharmacy

Hear from experts in the field as they take an in-depth look at the core concepts for a successful antimicrobial stewardship program in this 4-part webinar series.

Article Combination Antibiotic Testing: When 2 Drugs are Better than 1 (or 2)

Combination therapy also has potential advantages beyond preventing the emergence of resistance: a second drug may enhance the activity of the first, for example, or may inhibit the activity of a resistance mechanism.

Article All Together Now Part 1: Cohesive Antimicrobial Stewardship

Antibiotic stewardship aims include the development of diagnostic tests and optimization of their use, vaccine development and infection prevention.

Article The Role of Clinical Education in The Stewardship Movement

Education is a key part of any stewardship intervention, and the CDC lists it as 1 of the 7 core elements of hospital antimicrobial stewardship.

Toolkits

For Educators

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For Policymakers

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For the Ag Industry