Antimicrobial resistance in surface waters — developing environmental monitoring for better risk management

The European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing highlights that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Europe’s surface waters is a largely unmonitored but increasingly important component of the One Health network — with evidence showing that antibiotic-resistant bacteria and resistance genes are entering rivers via wastewater discharges and can persist downstream. The report calls for harmonised environmental AMR monitoring (covering clear objectives, standardised methods, quality assurance and centralised reporting) to identify hotspots, track trends and assess risk — and notes that progress is underway as part of revisions to EU water-legislation.