AMR is a global public health challenge requiring a One Health approach, integrating human, animal, and environmental health. In general, Nordic countries are successful in keeping low levels of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) due to prudent antibiotic use, strong healthcare systems, clean water, improved sanitation, and effective public health measures. However, ARB rates in this region have been rising in recent years, primarily due to resistance genes spread via plasmids and horizontal gene transfer, posing an increasing threat.
The role of environmental AMR dynamics, particularly those driven by mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and horizontal gene transfer (HGT), remains poorly understood. Our consortium will explore these dynamics in water, wastewater, agricultural soils, and human environments across Nordic contexts.
The project aim to improve AMR monitoring, understanding, and combatting strategies across human, animal, and environmental health. Future grant applications will focus on investigating MGEs' role in HGT to identify key intervention points, improve surveillance and diagnostic tools, and support targeted mitigation strategies.
This will advance early AMR detection by integrating molecular and culture-based methods, improving data accuracy and comparability. The consortium ensures the integration of research efforts at Nordic levels to reduce redundancy, enhance resource efficiency, and leverage shared infrastructure and data.