Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, CSIC, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Jul 28;22(15):8080. doi: 10.3390/ijms22158080.
The use and misuse of antibiotics have made antibiotic-resistant bacteria widespread nowadays, constituting one of the most relevant challenges for human health at present. Among these bacteria, opportunistic pathogens with an environmental, non-clinical, primary habitat stand as an increasing matter of concern at hospitals. These organisms usually present low susceptibility to antibiotics currently used for therapy. They are also proficient in acquiring increased resistance levels, a situation that limits the therapeutic options for treating the infections they cause. In this article, we analyse the most predominant opportunistic pathogens with an environmental origin, focusing on the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance they present. Further, we discuss the functions, beyond antibiotic resistance, that these determinants may have in the natural ecosystems that these bacteria usually colonize. Given the capacity of these organisms for colonizing different habitats, from clinical settings to natural environments, and for infecting different hosts, from plants to humans, deciphering their population structure, their mechanisms of resistance and the role that these mechanisms may play in natural ecosystems is of relevance for understanding the dissemination of antibiotic resistance under a One-Health point of view.
抗生素的使用和滥用使得耐药菌现今广泛存在，这是当前对人类健康最相关的挑战之一。在这些细菌中，具有环境、非临床、主要生境的机会性病原体在医院中越来越令人担忧。这些生物体通常对目前用于治疗的抗生素具有较低的敏感性。它们还擅长获得更高的耐药水平，这种情况限制了治疗它们引起的感染的治疗选择。在本文中，我们分析了最主要的具有环境来源的机会性病原体，重点讨论了它们所呈现的抗生素耐药机制。此外，我们还讨论了这些决定因素除了抗生素耐药性之外，在这些细菌通常定植的自然生态系统中可能具有的功能。鉴于这些生物体从临床环境到自然环境以及从植物到人类的不同宿主的定植能力，解析它们的种群结构、耐药机制以及这些机制在自然生态系统中可能发挥的作用，对于从“One Health”的角度理解抗生素耐药性的传播具有重要意义。
