Designing Novel Photocatalysts for Disinfection of Multidrug-Resistant …
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bacteria but they were suspected to be one of the foremost hotspots and anthropogenic sources for release of antibiotics, MDR bacteria, and antibiotic-resistant
genes (ARG) into the environment (Barancheshme and Munir 2018). In countries
with low per capita income, where hospital wastewater is treated along with municipal effluent or discharged without any treatment, the situation becomes more critical.
Specifically, MDR bacteria that carry ARGs, often contaminate the community water
sources; transferring their resistance to harmless nonpathogenic bacteria; ultimately
posing a severe public health threat (Lien et al. 2017).
Antibiotic usage has tremendously increased in the past decade for clinical applications, agriculture and the food industry, and aquaculture. Partially metabolized,
unprescribed, overused, and incomplete used antibiotics were reported as the major
reasons behind the development of MDR microorganisms (Prestinaci et al. 2015).
The presence of antibiotic residues in varying concentrations in aquatic bodies like
river, lake, and pond ecosystems has been well-documented (Diwan et al. 2010).
The “Indian Ganges”, along with its auxiliary tributaries, supplies water to over 500
million individuals. Thus contamination of even one water source could affect the
livelihood of millions of people categorically. Antibiotics are reported to be present in
rivers and other aquatic bodies at concentrations that could not only modify the ecological dynamics of the environment but also give rise to antibiotic-resistant bacteria
(ARB) and ARGs (Barancheshme and Munir 2018). Exposure of commensals like E.
coli and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) to antibiotics increases the carriage level
of ARGs. This might then be transferred to other bacteria to develop their more virulent variants like Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and Vancomycin-resistant
S. aureus (VRSA), Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) producing E. coli
(Barancheshme and Munir 2018). These MDR organisms and ARGs are constantly
emerging and dispersing worldwide, thus threatening the therapeutic potential of
antibiotics against the treatment of infectious diseases resulting in increasing mortality (Prestinaci et al. 2015). This has become such a serious concern for global public health that in 2015 the World Health Organization (WHO) reported a document
on the global surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (World Health Organization
2014). Thus, it necessitates the “one health approach” to attain most ideal health
conditions for mankind, animals, and environment (Ryu et al. 2017). This may have
better emphasis on development of global public health and nullify the global burden
caused by MDR microorganisms.
Additionally harmful organics, chiefly industrial wastes such as organic dyes,
pharmaceuticals more specifically antibiotics, polychlorinated pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons polychlorinated dibenzodioxins, dibenzofurans, and
biphenyls pose serious threats through biomagnification and deterioration of public
health has turned out to be a matter of concern for global environmental legislatives
and scientists (Qing Li et al. 2006).
443
bacteria but they were suspected to be one of the foremost hotspots and anthropogenic sources for release of antibiotics, MDR bacteria, and antibiotic-resistant
genes (ARG) into the environment (Barancheshme and Munir 2018). In countries
with low per capita income, where hospital wastewater is treated along with municipal effluent or discharged without any treatment, the situation becomes more critical.
Specifically, MDR bacteria that carry ARGs, often contaminate the community water
sources; transferring their resistance to harmless nonpathogenic bacteria; ultimately
posing a severe public health threat (Lien et al. 2017).
Antibiotic usage has tremendously increased in the past decade for clinical applications, agriculture and the food industry, and aquaculture. Partially metabolized,
unprescribed, overused, and incomplete used antibiotics were reported as the major
reasons behind the development of MDR microorganisms (Prestinaci et al. 2015).
The presence of antibiotic residues in varying concentrations in aquatic bodies like
river, lake, and pond ecosystems has been well-documented (Diwan et al. 2010).
The “Indian Ganges”, along with its auxiliary tributaries, supplies water to over 500
million individuals. Thus contamination of even one water source could affect the
livelihood of millions of people categorically. Antibiotics are reported to be present in
rivers and other aquatic bodies at concentrations that could not only modify the ecological dynamics of the environment but also give rise to antibiotic-resistant bacteria
(ARB) and ARGs (Barancheshme and Munir 2018). Exposure of commensals like E.
coli and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) to antibiotics increases the carriage level
of ARGs. This might then be transferred to other bacteria to develop their more virulent variants like Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and Vancomycin-resistant
S. aureus (VRSA), Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) producing E. coli
(Barancheshme and Munir 2018). These MDR organisms and ARGs are constantly
emerging and dispersing worldwide, thus threatening the therapeutic potential of
antibiotics against the treatment of infectious diseases resulting in increasing mortality (Prestinaci et al. 2015). This has become such a serious concern for global public health that in 2015 the World Health Organization (WHO) reported a document
on the global surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (World Health Organization
2014). Thus, it necessitates the “one health approach” to attain most ideal health
conditions for mankind, animals, and environment (Ryu et al. 2017). This may have
better emphasis on development of global public health and nullify the global burden
caused by MDR microorganisms.
Additionally harmful organics, chiefly industrial wastes such as organic dyes,
pharmaceuticals more specifically antibiotics, polychlorinated pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons polychlorinated dibenzodioxins, dibenzofurans, and
biphenyls pose serious threats through biomagnification and deterioration of public
health has turned out to be a matter of concern for global environmental legislatives
and scientists (Qing Li et al. 2006).