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
. 2025 Jul 29;3(1):68.
doi: 10.1038/s44259-025-00137-9.

The hospital sink drain microbiome as a melting pot for AMR transmission to nosocomial pathogens

Gregory E McCallum  1 , James P J Hall  2
Affiliations
Review

The hospital sink drain microbiome as a melting pot for AMR transmission to nosocomial pathogens

Gregory E McCallum et al. NPJ Antimicrob Resist. .

Abstract

The hospital sink drain microbiome can harbour opportunistic pathogens and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). Aspects of this habitat, such as exposure to disinfectants, antibiotics, nutrients, and body fluids could exacerbate horizontal gene transfer of ARGs and clinically impactful pathogen resistance. Here, we explore features of the hospital sink drain that may favour ARG acquisition and transmission, highlight studies providing evidence of transfer, and consider strategies to mitigate these risks.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The hospital sink drain microbiome as a melting pot for AMR transmission to nosocomial pathogens.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Sati, H. et al. The WHO Bacterial Priority Pathogens List 2024: a prioritisation study to guide research, development, and public health strategies against antimicrobial resistance. Lancet Infect. Dis.0, 10.1016/S1473-3099(25)00118-5 (2025). - PubMed
    1. Gilbert, J. A. & Stephens, B. Microbiology of the built environment. Nat. Rev. Microbiol.16, 661–670 (2018). - PubMed
    1. Partridge, S. R., Kwong, S. M., Firth, N. & Jensen, S. O. Mobile genetic elements associated with antimicrobial resistance. Clin. Microbiol. Rev.31, e00088–17 (2018). - PMC - PubMed
    1. Wang, R. et al. The global distribution and spread of the mobilized colistin resistance gene mcr-1. Nat. Commun.9, 1179 (2018). - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kopotsa, K., Osei Sekyere, J. & Mbelle, N. M. Plasmid evolution in carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae: a review. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci.1457, 61–91 (2019). - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources