Rachel Kaiser (Tennessee Technological University)
Antimicrobial resistance is a global crisis significantly impacting human health : 700,000 annual deaths and $100 trillion in productivity losses globally. Water resources are considered the primary environmental reservoir and dissemination pathway. Groundwater is a global reservoir for antimicrobial resistance. Karst groundwater supplies 1.18 billion people (16.5% of the global population) with drinking water. Understanding the occurrence and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance in urban karst groundwater systems is necessary.