Discovery of penicillin enlighten humanity with its miraculous results in curing bacterial infection. During the time users forgot the words of Alexander Fleming regarding alarming the antibiotic overuse in 1945 with the remarks ““It is not difficult to make microbes resistant to penicillin in the laboratory by exposing them to concentrations not sufficient to kill them, and the same thing has occasionally happened in the body”. In a very short time evidences of penicillin- resistant S. aureus emerged in 1942. Thus, microbes proved to be smarter than us and it is an ongoing phenomena. The condition is supposed to be responsible for the about 1.3 million global deaths with expected 50 million deaths per year by 2050 including 2 million deaths in India.

To overcome current scenario of antimicrobial resistance it is pertinent to understand the status of AMR, its global scenario and impact on society. With this objective first part of the book is included chapters on these topics. In recent time, the role of animals is always a topic of debate in transmission of antimicrobial resistance and it is also address in a chapter along with discussion on unusual causes of emergence of AMR as well as common mistakes responsible for therapeutic failure against AMR. These will provide newer approaches to address acquisition of resistance by bacteria in the presence of an antibiotic.

The advancement of science and emergence of new diagnostic methods have supported the understanding the mechanism of acquaintance of resistance, spread and application of advanced methods to find out resistant genes responsible for drug resistance and genes responsible for the transmission of resistance from resistant to nonresistant microbes. The role of resistomes is also elaborated with possible pharmacological interventions to overcome AMR. The role of computational Biology and next generation sequencing in the surveillance of AMR for the rapid anti-microbial drug discovery is also discussed with the insights of quorum sensing to mitigate transfer of drug resistance genes.

The editors and authors are of the opinion that their manuscripts published in the form of book will provide a ready to use reference in understanding AMR, its mechanism and use of new diagnostic as well as mitigating mechanisms. It will further open new avenues of AMR understanding leading the changes in current strategies to overcome AMR. We hope that the hard work and sincere efforts of experienced authors will be useful for the policy makers and other stakeholders. It will inculcate new thought process on AMR understanding in upcoming scientists.

Prof (Dr) Amit Kumar, Professor & Head, Division of Animal Biotechnology, College of Biotechnology at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture & Technology, Meerut, India is a veterinary microbiologist working in the field of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and vaccinology for more than 20 years. His major contributions include the reporting of various MRSA, VRSA and ESBL producing bacterial pathogens of different bacterial species of animals and human origin. It includes the molecular detection of auto inducer genes in AMR super bugs like Staphylococcus, Klebsiella, E. coli and Pseudomonas, which can be targeted for the inhibition of expression of autoinducer genes to avoid resistance transmission. These led to publication of the first report of multi drug resistant (MDR) bacterial species with phylogenic linkage to similar microbes reported in other countries. His current focus is on the development of alternate therapy by exploiting quorum sensing mechanism of drug resistant bacteria to mitigate anti microbial resistance. He has delivered more than 25 invited lectures on AMR on various forum including national and international workshop, seminar, symposium. He has in his credit more than 100 research papers, 50 book chapters and compiled 10 books as an editor.

Dr Anu Rahal, Principal Scientist, Division of Animal Health, ICAR-CIRG, Mathura is a veterinary pharmacologist with specialization in pharmacokinetics. She has an experience of almost 25 years and in recent past engaged in field of green pharmaceuticals and drug development based on indigenous knowledge based system through advanced validation methods. She is engaged in the selection of phytoconstitutents, their molecular mechanisms involved in host microbial interaction, its survival and reproduction. The recently developed anti brucellosis polyherbal formulation might be a major break though in this field and formulation is in the process of commercialization. Similarly, development of poly herbal formulation for the prevention and cure of bovine anaplasmosis is another significant contribution. She has nearly 65 reviews, research papers, short communications published in various journals of international and national reputes. She has edited 5 books and contributed 23 book chapters.

Dr Yanshi a veterinary graduate with specialization in public health is currently working as a Scientist in the public health government agency of the United Kingdom on epidemiology of various zoonotic pathogens. She graduated with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry from Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, post graduated in Public Health from School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, UK. She has also worked at Royal Veterinary College, London in the One Health Poultry Hub. In her career, she has participated in 14 training courses, 13 workshops, 10 conferences, 5 symposiums and seminars with remarkable publications in different languages. Her main focus is on the epidemiological studies involving zoonotic pathogens particularly multi drug resistant bacteria involved in human diseases.

1. Antimicrobial Resistance - A Global Challenge: Need for One Health Approach

Vamshi Krishna Sriram, J Shiva Jyothi and Ambily R

2. Antimicrobial Resistance in Europe: An Insight

Yanshi

3. Antimicrobial Resistance: A threat to public health

Sundus Gazal, Sabahat Gazal and Paviter Kaur

4. Emerging Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)

Chayanika Das, Ashok Kumar, Ram Kumar, Vikas Gupta, Ranjana Singh, Vinod Kumar Singh

5. Current scenario of antimicrobial resistance in Extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing zoonotic bacterial species

Vibha Yadav, R. K. Joshi,  and Namita Joshi

6. Antimicrobial Resistance: A Menace to Livestock with Special Reference to Eastern India

Siddhartha N. Joardar, Aditya Paul and Rajarshi Bardhan

7. Unusual causes of emergence of Antimicrobial drug resistance

Bhoj R. Singh, R. Karthikeyan and A. Yadav

8. Common Mistakes Responsible For Therapeutic Failure Against AMR

Anu Rahala and Amit Kumar 

9. Understanding Antimicrobial Resistance: Basics and Beyond

Surendra Upadhyay, Amit Kumar and Anu Rahal

10. Understanding quorum sensing to mitigate transfer of drug resistance genes

Mrinal Srivastava, Malyaj R Prajapati, Anamika Bhordia, Anu Rahal and Amit Kumar

11. Transfer of Antimicrobial Resistance Through Mobile Genetic Elements

Joyceejogi, Daljeet Chhabra, Rakesh Sharda, Rakhgangil, Ravi Sikrodia And Neetu Rajput

12. Resistomes-Informed Combating of Antibiotic Resistance in the Frame of One Health

Ajit Singh

13. Computational Biology in the Surveillance of Anti-microbial Resistance (AMR) and Rapid Anti-microbial Drug Discovery

Rasanpreet Kaur, Mukta Jain, Amit Kumar Singh, Parul Yadav, Ankush, Saurabh Gupta, Swaroop Kumar Pandey, Jagdip Singh Sohal

14. Genomic Insights into Antimicrobial Resistance: Leveraging Next-Generation Sequencing for Comprehensive Identification and Characterization

Malyaj R Prajapati, Mrinal Srivastava, Aakansha Manav, Surendra Upadhayay, Amit Kumar, Jitender Singh and Ravindra Kumar

15. Pharmacological Plausibilities to Overcome Antimicrobial Resistance

Anu Rahal and Amit Kumar