May 07, 2025
Exploring the connection between gender equality indicators and antibiotic consumption
In a new working paper, One Health Trust researchers and colleagues estimated that a 1 percentage-point increase in the proportion of females with secondary or higher schooling attainment was associated with 0.12 defined daily doses (DDDs) lower antibiotic consumption after controlling for income group, demographics, healthcare access, and health spending. The study also found that a 0.1-unit increase in the female-to-male labor participation ratio was associated with 2.16 DDD lower antibiotic consumption. These findings suggest that as women’s workforce participation and educational attainment improve over time, their antibiotic consumption declines, underscoring the need for gender inclusion in antibiotic stewardship programs. [SSRN]
OHT and Ivorian researchers led GARP-Côte d’Ivoire workshop on vaccines and AMR.
In March 2025, OHT researcher Oluwatosin Ajayi attended the Global Antibiotic Resistance Partnership (GARP) workshop in Côte d’Ivoire, where participants discussed the role of vaccination in the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR). GARP is an OHT-led initiative looking at ways to leverage vaccines to control AMR in country-specific contexts. In Côte d’Ivoire, 4,277 deaths were attributed to bacterial AMR in 2021. While evidence that vaccination effectively mitigates the burden of drug resistance is extensive, many countries have yet to integrate measurable immunization objectives in their AMR strategies. [One Health Trust]
Screening for prior non-prescription antibiotic use to predict future antibiotic misuse
A survey of adult patients in 8 healthcare facilities in Houston, Texas, found that a question screening for any prior non-prescription use of antibiotics in the last 12 months could predict future intended non-prescription use with 85.7 percent sensitivity. However, this question had a positive predictive value of only 48.8 percent, suggesting that it could only accurately predict non-prescription use in less than half of the individuals who screened positive. Predictors associated with prior non-prescription antibiotic use included utilizing the public health care system, having Medicaid or the county-assisted financial assistance program, and poorer self-reported overall health. [BMC Primary Care]
U.S. FDA to adopt modern breakpoints for antimicrobial susceptibility testing
In early 2025, the United States Food and Drug Administration announced that it would recognize the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) breakpoints, or criteria used in antimicrobial susceptibility testing to interpret test results and guide clinical decision-making on antimicrobial treatment. Adopting the CLSI guidelines, which are continuously updated in response to antimicrobial resistance development, will benefit laboratories and clinicians and ultimately improve patient care. [Journal of Clinical Microbiology]
Armed conflict exacerbates AMR by destroying infrastructure and contaminating environments.
Armed conflict and related forced displacement, natural disasters, and climate change drive the spread of drug-resistant pathogens while weakening existing healthcare systems and governance structures. Toxic contamination of environments and water sources with heavy metals from the remnants of war has been shown to support the selection of resistance genes in pathogens. Furthermore, the destruction of water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities exposes residents in armed conflict settings to solid waste and sewage water. Future AMR research and policy should prioritize conflict-affected individuals and service providers to address a significant evidence gap and understand the contextual factors that drive drug resistance in these settings. [npj antimicrobials & resistance]
Challenges to developing veterinary bacterial vaccines
Adopting novel vaccine platform technologies to develop veterinary bacterial vaccines is limited by the complex nature of bacterial vaccine targets and the differences in immune responses across species. Constructing a vaccine target product profile early in the vaccine development process and exploiting reverse vaccinology and machine learning can help accelerate the deployment of novel vaccine platform technologies against animal bacterial pathogens. [Vaccine]
Strengthened avian influenza virus surveillance can mitigate pandemic risk.
The ongoing spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus has highlighted the insufficient surveillance of avian influenza virus (AIV) in mammals. Barriers include socioeconomic factors as well as methodological (for example, limited systematic sampling methods). Surveillance is further complicated by mild or atypical symptoms of AIV, which are common in mammals. Mitigating the pandemic risk of AIV requires strengthening and broadening the global H5N1 surveillance network while addressing disparities in infrastructure and funding between resource-rich and resource-poor areas. [Nature Communications]
A call for setting-based surveillance to prevent future mpox outbreaks
The resurgence of mpox prompted a global health response that focused on mitigating risks to human health while neglecting vulnerable animal species. A setting-based surveillance system for humans, animals, and ecosystems in any area can support a more holistic One Health approach to reducing mpox prevalence and preventing future outbreaks and pandemics. Furthermore, including non-health professionals, such as social scientists and community leaders, can deepen our understanding of the sociocultural context in high-risk settings and foster local ownership and governance. [One Health Outlook]
Limited cross-sectoral collaboration associated with antibiotic misuse in fisheries in Ghana
A qualitative study of stakeholders from the fisheries, aquaculture, and veterinary sectors in Ghana revealed that drug retailers along the Volta Lake of Ghana have limited knowledge, expertise, and education on the use of antibiotics in fish farming. The study also found a lack of regulation in veterinary drug sales to farmers. Although government officials counsel fish farmers about best practices around antibiotic use, an overall lack of coordination across government officials, drug sellers, and fish farmers drives the widespread availability of medications in the region. [One Health Outlook]
A One Health approach to address the dual threat of climate change and AMR
A scoping review applied the Population, Concept, Context framework to identify cross-cutting themes in the relationship between AMR and climate change. The review highlights how climate change accelerates AMR by enhancing antibiotic resistance gene mobility through rising temperatures, altered ecosystems, and extreme weather. Furthermore, agricultural activities contribute to AMR dissemination through soil degradation, pesticide use, and environmental contamination. Addressing the compounding effects of AMR and climate change should integrate a One Health approach, behavioral interventions, and advanced environmental monitoring and regulatory frameworks to track and mitigate this dual threat. [Discover Public Health]
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