Exploring the Relationship between Climate Change and Antimicrobial-resistant Bacteria: To What Extent Does This Present a Current and Long-term Threat to Population Health?

Climate change and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria (AMR) have been studied as two separate problems affecting population health. Mortality attributable to AMR could reach up to 10 million people by 2050, becoming the most important challenge for global health. However, little is known about the changing environmental factors that could facilitate the spread of AMR infections. The article explores the linkage between climate change and AMR, in particular through the role of temperature, humidity, and the presence of metals in the environment. The PRISMA method was used for the systematic review based on the PubMed database. Previous research shows that warmer, more humid, and more highly polluted environments have a direct positive impact on the growth of microorganisms and most resistant bacteria. Global warming and structural changes in bacterial habitat, because of climate change, might result in new environmental conditions that facilitate the dissemination of AMR from a biological and reproductive perspective. This would have an impact on population health in the short- and long term because simple infections are becoming more aggressive as bacteria mutate constantly owing to the higher concentration of elements boosting their resistant capacity in their habitats. As a result, the morbidity and mortality of AMR could become more widespread as climate changes continue. Finally, the linkage between AMR and climate change is consistent and clear across different types of microorganisms and classes of antibiotics, and therefore the burden of AMR could be catastrophic if regulations on the environment, in the form of prevention policies, are not instituted in the future.