Antimicrobial Resistance Global Challenges and Future Interventions

Antimicrobial resistance is a major global public health problem. This book focuses on the clinical implications of multi-drug resistant pathogens; tracking AMR and its evolutionary significance; antifungal resistance; and current and alternative treatment strategies for AMR, including antivirulent, antibiofilm and antimicrobial resistance breakers, repurposing of drugs, and probiotic therapy. Advances in antimicrobial stewardship, antibiotic policies from a global perspective and their impacts are also discussed. The book also explores the use of omics approaches to gain insights into antibacterial resistance, and includes chapters on the potential benefits of a ‘One Health approach’ describing the environmental and zoonotic sources of resistant genes and their effects on the global resistance pool.  

Dr. Sabu Thomas M.Sc., Ph.D. is a senior faculty scientist heading the Cholera and Biofilm Research Group at Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (National Institute under the Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India). Dr. Thomas has been working in the area of environmental and clinical pathogenic bacteria for more than two decades, with a special focus on gut and chronic wound infected pathogens, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and alternative strategies to curb AMR. Dr. Thomas’s team has published 12 book chapters and more than 75 research articles in prestigious journals at the national and international level, and edited one book. He has received various honors, including membership in the World Health Organization’s Global Task Force on Cholera Control. Currently, he is a member of the State Working Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance, and research coordinator for AMR activities in Kerala. He was part of the Second Indian Arctic Scientific Expedition team, formed by the Govt. of India to assess the bioprospecting potential of psychrophilic bacteria in the Polar region. He is also affiliated with various reputed organizations around the globe, including the Global Foodborne Infections Network, CHOLDInet - Global Laboratory Network for Cholera and other Diarrhoeal Infections, International Society for Infectious Diseases, and Freshwater Action Network South Asia.