Causes and transmission paths of antibiotic-resistant bacteria
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1 In health institutions, resistant bacteria can be transmitted through contact between patients, between patients and their visitors, by the nursing staff or through contaminated surfaces and medical devices (during a medical procedure).
2 Resistant bacteria that occur after antibiotic treatment can be transferred from a human to an animal, or vice versa.
3 Bacteria can also infect raw meat during slaughter and cause foodborne infections. They can also contaminate dairy products, eggs, fish and seafood, vegetables and fruit.
4 Tourism and food imports are the fastest way of spreading resistant bacterial strains across national borders.
5 Resistant bacteria can get into rivers, lakes and groundwater reserves, although treatment plants eliminate 99% of them in treated wastewater before they discharge the water into the natural environment.
6 The spreading of manure (slurry) on cultivated fields can also lead to the spread of bacteria, which can multiply on plants, seep into groundwater or be washed into rivers and lakes.
