Antimicrobial Resistance in the Tropics

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is on the rise and spreading rapidly worldwide. Low- and middle-income countries, because of weak health systems, are particularly vulnerable to this increase. Population mobility further fuels the globalization of AMR, with travelers and migrants at significant risk of harboring drug-resistant organisms. This article provides an overview of the factors that contribute to the emergence, spread, and persistence of AMR, particularly antibiotic-resistance, in the tropics. Also addressed are clinical implications of this emergent global crisis for migrants and travelers, using specific scenarios commonly encountered in those populations.

Keywords: Antibiotics; Antimicrobial resistance; Carbapenemase; ESBL; LMIC; Travel; Tropics.