BACKGROUND Antimicrobial resistance is driven by multiple factors. Resolving the threat to human and animal health presented by drug-resistant infections remains a societal challenge that demands close collaboration between scientists and citizens. We compared current public views about key contributing factors to antimicrobial resistance with those expressed by experts. METHODS Overarching f...

We conducted a retrospective study of Escherichia coli isolates recovered from human and food animal samples during 1950-2002 to assess historical changes in antimicrobial drug resistance. A total of 1,729 E. coli isolates (983 from humans, 323 from cattle, 138 from chickens, and 285 from pigs) were tested for susceptibility to 15 antimicrobial drugs. A significant upward trend in resistance wa...

Antimicrobial resistance in pathogenic bacteria has become a serious public health concern as infections with multi-drug resistant bacteria are becoming increasingly difficult to treat. In a recent publication by Hatosy and Martiny, the diversity of antimicrobial resistance genes in marine systems was explored using functional metagenomics. Work from these authors, as well as other studies of a...

The fitness effects of a mutation can depend, sometimes dramatically, on genetic background; this phenomenon is often referred to as "epistasis." Epistasis can have important practical consequences in the context of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). For example, genetic background plays an important role in determining the costs of resistance, and hence in whether resistance will persist in the a...

Salmonella enterica is recognized as one of the major food-borne pathogens with more than 2,500 serotypesworldwide. The present study addresses antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidisisolates in Iran. A collection of 151 Salmonella spp. isolates collected from poultry were serotyped toidentify Salmonella Enteritidis. Sixty-one Salmonella Enteritidis were subsequently...

The Fifth Decennial International Conference on Healthcare-Associated Infections, held March 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, brought the issue of antimicrobial drug resistance to the forefront. Results of a survey that polled members of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America regarding critical knowledge gaps and research priorities were presented. Respondents reported that 3 of the 5...

The Fifth Decennial International Conference on Healthcare-Associated Infections, held March 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, brought the issue of antimicrobial drug resistance to the forefront. Results of a survey that polled members of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America regarding critical knowledge gaps and research priorities were presented. Respondents reported that 3 of the 5...