EXPERTS have identified environmental contamination, global travel, agriculture, and weak infection control systems as key drivers of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in regions with minimal antibiotic consumption.

Speaking at a seminar titled “Beta-Lactam Resistance Dynamics: Data Analytics, Diagnostics, and One Health” at Texas Tech University’s School of Veterinary Medicine in the United States, veterinary epidemiologist Dr Babafela Awosile explained that areas with low antibiotic use can still record high levels of resistance. He emphasised that resistant bacteria spread through multiple pathways that are independent of local drug consumption.

Expanding on the implications for Nigeria, a PhD student at Texas Tech University and member of the research team, Godwin Ohemu, said antibiotic resistance “knows no borders” and can become established in communities before individuals are even exposed to antibiotics.

He identified environmental dissemination of resistance genes as a major route, citing improper pharmaceutical waste disposal, agricultural runoff, and contaminated water systems as channels through which resistance travels long distances.

Ohemu referenced a 2025 Nigerian study that detected colistin resistance in newborns who had never received antibiotics. Colistin—classified by the World Health Organisation as a last-resort antibiotic- suggests that environmental or agricultural exposure during pregnancy or shortly after birth can lead to early colonisation.

“In countries with weak waste management systems, pharmaceutical residues and agricultural runoff can enter rivers and groundwater, exposing communities that may have limited antibiotic access but a high resistance burden,” he said.

He also highlighted horizontal gene transfer as a critical mechanism in the spread of resistance. Through processes such as conjugation, transformation, and transduction, bacteria exchange resistance genes in soil, water, and air.

International studies, he noted, show that resistance genes originating in agriculture can transfer to human pathogens within weeks, even in areas with low antibiotic use.

Ohemu further warned that inadequate infection prevention and control (IPC) measures, alongside poor water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure, accelerate the movement of resistant organisms between sectors.

Agricultural workers, he explained, may inadvertently carry resistant bacteria from farms into their homes through contaminated clothing or footwear. Research indicates that family members of livestock workers often harbour multidrug-resistant bacteria despite minimal personal antibiotic use.

Hospitals and veterinary clinics also act as amplification centres for resistant pathogens. Global microbiological surveys have identified hospital sinks, toilets, and handwashing stations as reservoirs, with studies showing that nearly half of patients admitted to intensive care units may acquire resistant organisms within 48 hours, even without prior antibiotic exposure.

The experts also underscored the impact of globalisation, noting that resistant strains emerging in one country can spread internationally within days through travel and trade. For Nigeria, a major West African travel and commercial hub, this means constant exposure to globally circulating resistant strains.

They stressed that addressing antimicrobial resistance requires strengthened surveillance, improved waste management, antimicrobial stewardship, and coordinated One Health strategies.

“Responsible antibiotic use anywhere benefits everyone,” Ohemu said, warning that misuse in any setting undermines global health security. Until AMR is tackled collectively, he cautioned, no country can consider itself fully protected.