Impact of travel on international spread of antimicrobial resistance

Antimicrobial resistance, an escalating problem worldwide, affects a broad range of human diseases. Excessive and inappropriate drug usage is the key driver for the emergence of resistant organisms. Travel, trade and mass migration form an important mode for their spread. The use of molecular biology provides the means of understanding the genesis and spread of the genes for drug resistance. Antimicrobial use in veterinary practice as food additives causes selection of resistant zoonotic pathogens that may spread to humans. Comprehensive surveillance systems should be designed and implemented at local and national levels and a national resistance surveillance database operationalized. There is also need for better regulation of the use of antibiotics and education of the medical fraternity, veterinarians and the public in the appropriate use of antimicrobials.