Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance Genes in the Environment: Transmission, Fate and Mitigation Strategies

Dear Colleagues,

The widespread use of antibiotics in agriculture—primarily to promote growth, prevent disease, and treat infections in livestock and aquaculture—has made the agro-environment a critical hotspot for the dissemination of antibiotic resistance. Although antibiotics play an essential role in safeguarding animal health and ensuring food security, their release into the environment via manure application, wastewater irrigation, and surface runoff poses a serious threat to global public health. This environmental reservoir of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) creates continuous selection pressure, fostering the enrichment of resistant bacteria and facilitating the horizontal transfer of ARGs to human pathogens.

This Special Issue of Antibiotics seeks to gather high-quality research and review articles that address the complex challenges associated with antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes in the environment. We aim to advance understanding of the full lifecycle of antibiotics—from their use and environmental fate to their ecological impacts and the development of resistance. Particular emphasis will be placed on innovative strategies for monitoring, risk assessment, and mitigation. By integrating insights from diverse disciplines, this Special Issue aspires to inform sustainable agricultural practices and policy development, ultimately helping preserve the effectiveness of existing antibiotics for future generations.

Prof. Dr. Yongzhen Ding
Dr. Zulin Zhang
Dr. Hui Lin
Guest Editors

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