Doctoral defence: Mailis Laht “Using the One Health approach for mapping the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria in Estonia”

On 7 November at 13:15 Mailis Laht will defend her thesis "Using the One Health approach for mapping the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria in Estonia" for obtaining the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Environmental Engineering)  

Supervisor: 
Associate Professor Veljo Kisand, University of Tartu

Opponent:
Fiona Walsh, PhD,
Professor, Biosciences & Electronic Engineering Facility,
Maynooth University, Maynooth, Ireland

Summary: The One Health approach for combating antibiotic resistance is to foster an interdisciplinary network encompassing human medicine, veterinary science, genetics, and environmental science. We established a comprehensive baseline for Estonia regarding the spread of antibiotic resistance, including areas not typically monitored. While progress has been made, especially in implementing the One Health framework, there is still a need for more data and measures, particularly in the environmental sector. We identified transfer between all One Health domains for Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterococcus faecalis. No cross-species transmission was observed for Enterococcus faecium. Among tested isolates, multi-resistance was widespread at the gene level and confirmed phenotypically. Notably, one P. aeruginosa isolate from a human patient was resistant to all six tested antibiotic groups. Generally, there are low carriage rates of antibiotic-resistant bacteria among non-infected hosts, with low prevalence in healthy humans and almost non-existent in wildlife. Estonian wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) showed average antibiotic resistance levels compared to global data. Our study results suggest incorporating additional sanitation measures into wastewater treatment processes to meet higher biohazard prevention standards and ensure the sustainable use of water and soil. In conclusion, our study underscores the importance of a unified One Health approach in addressing antibiotic resistance. By bridging human, animal, and environmental health, we can develop more effective strategies to prevent and control the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, ultimately protecting public health and the environment.
 

Defence can be followed in Zoom: https://ut-ee.zoom.us/j/9530588152?pwd=ZzgzMjY4YytzUkZ5aVRCd2pOdVNQQT09  (meeting ID: 953 058 8152, passcode: kaitsmine).

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