Antibiotic Resistance in the Philippines: Environmental Reservoirs, Spillovers, and One-Health Research Gaps
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) remains a major health threat in the Philippines, where high antimicrobial use, intensive aquaculture, and recurrent typhoon-driven flooding and monsoon seasons shape distinctive transmission pathways. This narrative review synthesizes published Philippine data across clinical, agriculture, and environmental sectors to map evidence and gaps relevant to policy. Clinically, vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecium is 23%, Klebsiella pneumonia shows ∼15% carbapenem resistance, and Escherichia coli resistance to third generation cephalosporins (3GC) and fluoroquinolone are ∼43 and ∼46%, respectively. In food animals, ceftriaxone resistance in non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) increased from ∼8% (2010) to ∼43% (2020s), with ciprofloxacin resistance between 14 and 23%. Environmental studies report extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli in Manila estuaries and multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) indices of up to 0.15 in tributaries. Hospital sewage and nearby rivers have yielded carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) bearing bla NDM / bla KPC in clinically relevant lineages (e.g., E. coli CC10, K. pneumoniae ST147). Cross sector comparisons remain constrained by method heterogeneity and data gaps. To operationalize One-Health monitoring, we propose (i) a two window surveillance design: late dry baseline and 24–72 h post-storm flood pulses; and (ii) a two tier analytics model: Tier 1 HT-qPCR ARG/MGE panels at regional hubs for rapid screening, and Tier 2 metagenomics/isolate whole genome sequencing (WGS) at national hubs for source attribution and plasmid tracking. We translate these findings into a modular AMR risk assessment toolkit to prioritize surveillance and targeted interventions.
Source: Frontiers in Microbiology
Authors: Charmaine Ng, Josephine Abrazaldo, Patrick de Vera, Shin Giek Goh, Boonfei Tan
Institutions: Manila Central University, National Environment Agency
Language: English
Subfield: Pollution
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
OpenAlex ID: W7114918649