Antimicrobial resistance according to different geographical location and climatic conditions: source, risk and prevention

Before the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) which cause COVID-19 disease, one of greatest concern is the infections caused by multidrug resistant gram-negative bacteria (MDR-GNB), which are increasingly being reported worldwide. On the other hand, with COVID-19 pandemic during the two last years, the world endured by an increasing consumption of antibiotics, leading to the potential emergence of multidrug resistant gram-negative bacteria (MDR-GNB) which is a grave and a major global health concern. Consequently, there is in fact the increasing dissemination and emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The aquatic ecosystem is a non-clinical environment for spreading of pathogens, SARS-CoV-2, MDR-GNB and a hot-spots for horizontal gene transfer.
During the two last decades, AMR is recognized as one of the greatest threats to public health, environment, food security, and is a global concern affecting anyone, any age, in any country. This resistance leads to higher medical costs, prolonged hospital stays, and increased mortality worldly. It can also have negative environmental consequences, which are likely to lead to other global health crises in the future if nothing is done, probably more than COVID-19. Given the number of deaths due to MDR-GNB and the potential epidemic, research must be conducted worldwide to prevent AMR associated with outbreaks as geographical borders do not respect pathogen infections.
In this context, the present proposal will explore the:  
-    The Epidemiology and molecular characterization of MDR-GNB post covid-19 in river receiving systems under temperate and tropical conditions.
-    Occurrence of infections with antibiotic resistant Helicobacter pylori in the Middle East environmental sittings.
-    Microbial quality of irrigation water and its consequences on the vegetable produce in developing countries under tropical condition.
Quantitative data from different sittings will be useful to evaluate the potential risks and to limit the spread of MDR-GNB. Additionally, the results from this study shall provide insights on the possible routes of exposure and determine the prevalence of antibiotic resistance among the environmental isolates, which could provide insights to the antibiotic therapeutic regimen. On other hand, this project will maintain and reenforcing the alliance between Saudi Arabia and Swiss counterpart; each specialized in their research poles to obtain a long-term collaborative project.