By Abbas Nazil
A new scientific report has revealed that the growing threat of antibiotic resistance is fuelled not only by the misuse of antibiotics, but also by complex microbial interactions occurring across natural and human-impacted environments.
The report, published in *npj Antimicrobials and Resistance*, warns that antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are spreading rapidly through ecosystems because bacteria exchange genetic material during interactions such as symbiosis, competition and predation.
Researchers note that horizontal gene transfer — including transduction, conjugation and natural transformation — is central to the problem, enabling microbes in the environment to acquire resistance traits previously found only in clinical pathogens.
The report highlights that wastewater, agricultural soils, and polluted waters have become hotspots for these interactions, increasing the likelihood that ARGs will move from harmless environmental bacteria into disease-causing strains.
Scientists argue that focusing solely on clinical settings is no longer enough and that tackling antibiotic resistance requires understanding how microbial communities behave in real ecological systems.
The report calls for stronger surveillance of environmental compartments, including improved methods for detecting and tracking ARGs. It also urges policymakers to consider environmental dimensions of the crisis when designing control strategies.
Authors emphasise that interventions such as reducing pollution, regulating agricultural antibiotic use, and improving wastewater treatment could slow the spread of resistance.
They said without urgent action, microbial interactions will continue to accelerate the global dissemination of antibiotic resistance, posing a severe threat to public health and undermining modern medicine.