Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2021 Oct 1;34(5):423-431.
doi: 10.1097/QCO.0000000000000751.

Antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in international travelers

Sushmita Sridhar  1   2 , Sarah E Turbett  1   2   3 , Jason B Harris  4 , Regina C LaRocque  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in international travelers

Sushmita Sridhar et al. Curr Opin Infect Dis. .

Abstract

Purpose of review: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacteria poses a major risk to global public health, with many factors contributing to the observed increase in AMR. International travel is one recognized contributor. The purpose of this review is to summarize current knowledge regarding the acquisition, carriage and spread of AMR bacteria by international travelers.

Recent findings: Recent studies have highlighted that travel is an important risk factor for the acquisition of AMR bacteria, with approximately 30% of studied travelers returning with an acquired AMR bacterium. Epidemiological studies have shown there are three major risk factors for acquisition: travel destination, antimicrobial usage and travelers' diarrhea (TD). Analyses have begun to illustrate the AMR genes that are acquired and spread by travelers, risk factors for acquisition and carriage of AMR bacteria, and local transmission of imported AMR organisms.

Summary: International travel is a contributor to the acquisition and dissemination of AMR organisms globally. Efforts to reduce the burden of AMR organisms should include a focus on international travelers. Routine genomic surveillance would further elucidate the role of international travel in the global spread of AMR bacteria.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Box 1
Box 1
no caption available
FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Risk factors for the acquisition of travel-associated antimicrobial resistant bacteria. The three risk factors most commonly identified are destination, antimicrobial usage during travel and the occurrence of travelers’ diarrhea. Risk factors have been distinguished by type (shape) and relative importance (size). The size of the shapes is a rough estimation of the relative importance of risk factors, based on the number of analyzed studies in which the risk factor was identified. The most common risk factor (destination) was identified in 13 out of 15 analyzed studies [,,,,,,▪▪,,▪▪,▪▪,▪▪,▪▪,▪▪,56▪,81▪].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Tacconelli E, Carrara E, Savoldi A, et al. . Discovery, research, and development of new antibiotics: the WHO priority list of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and tuberculosis. Lancet Infect Dis 2017; 3099:318–327. - PubMed
    1. O’Neill J. Tackling drug-resistant infections globally: final report and recommendations. 2016. Online. Available at: https://amr-review.org/sites/default/files/160525_Final%20paper_with%20c....
    1. Antimicrobial resistance: global report on surveillance. World Health Organization 2014. Online. Available at: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241564748.
    1. Da Costa PM, Loureiro L, Matos AJFF. Transfer of multidrug-resistant bacteria between intermingled ecological niches: the interface between humans, animals and the environment. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2013; 10:278–294. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Haulisah NA, Hassan L, Bejo SK, et al. . High levels of antibiotic resistance in isolates from diseased livestock. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:652351. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

Substances