Fig. 3: Conceptual presentation on how DW antibiotic resistant elements (ARB and ARG) may threat human health.
From: Emerging contaminants affect the microbiome of water systems—strategies for their mitigation
(1) human contamination with an antibiotic resistant pathogen through direct use/ingestion of water (2) human to human transmission after a direct infection with contaminated DW, for example, by skin contact, air, and saliva particles (i.e., sneeze); (3) horizontal ARG transfer to human pathogens through the contact of environment ARB and ARG with human pathogens present in the most varied environments, such as in surfaces of different buildings (floor, furniture, etc.), in hands and mainly in healthcare units, infecting mainly immunocompromised groups83.
