title: The role of aquatic ecosystems as reservoirs of antibiotic resistance.
abstract: Although antibiotic resistance has become a major threat to human health worldwide, this phenomenon has been largely overlooked in studies in environmental settings. Aquatic environments may provide an ideal setting for the acquisition and dissemination of antibiotic resistance, because they are frequently impacted by anthropogenic activities. This review focuses primarily on the emergence and dissemination of antibiotic resistance in the aquatic environment, with a special emphasis on the role of antibiotic resistance genes.
authors.affiliation: Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Scientific and Technological Park of the University of Girona, Emili Grahit, 101, 17003 Girona, Spain.
authors.forename: Elisabet
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Marti
authors.affiliation: Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Scientific and Technological Park of the University of Girona, Emili Grahit, 101, 17003 Girona, Spain.
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Variatza
authors.affiliation: Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Scientific and Technological Park of the University of Girona, Emili Grahit, 101, 17003 Girona, Spain. Electronic address: jlbalcazar@icra.cat.
authors.forename: Jose Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Balcazar
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D017753:Ecosystem; D022761:Gene Transfer, Horizontal; D006801:Humans; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
keywords: antibiotic resistance; antibiotic resistance genes; aquatic environments; bacteria; bacteriophages; mobile genetic elements