Review Article Volume 9 • Issue 1 21 Practical Approaches for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and Genes in Wastewater Within Developing Countries Sunil Pandey *, 1 , Jennifer L salerno 1 , Shyam Prakash Dumre 2 Affiliation: 1 George Mason University, Fairfax VA 22030 2 Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu Nepal 44600 *Corresponding author: Sunil Pandey, George Mason University, Fairfax VA 22030. Citation: Sunil Pandey, Jennifer L salerno, Shyam Prakash Dumre. Practical Approaches for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bac-teria and Genes in Wastewater Within Developing Countries. Archives of Microbiology and Immunology. 9 (2025): 21-30. Received: January 14, 2024 Accepted: January 20, 2025 Published: January 30, 2025 Abstract Antibiotic resistance is a significant public health challenge that necessitates a com-prehensive approach to maintain antibiotic effectiveness. In developing countries, in-adequate treatment infrastructure has led to wastewater being a potential source of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and genes which give rise to antibiotic resistance, referred to in this paper as antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs). This article reviews cur- rent strategies to address ARGs and ARB in wastewater in developing countries. Our review emphasizes the importance of enhancing wastewater treatment infrastructure to effectively remove ARB and ARGs and reduce their release into the environment. Additionally, it addresses the need for monitoring and surveillance to track the pres-ence and dissemination of ARB and ARGs in wastewater. We also discuss potential ob-stacles and challenges to implementing these approaches and the need for further re-search to assess their real-world effectiveness. Overall, this review underscores the need for a comprehensive strategy to combat ARB and ARGs in wastewater in devel-oping countries to safeguard public health. Keywords: Antibiotic resistance, Wastewater, Developing countries Introduction This review elaborates on potential methods to reduce the levels of antibi- otic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs), which give rise to antibiotic resistance, in wastewater in underdeveloped nations. ARGS are defined as a mutation in a bacterial chromosome that leads to resistance to a particular antibiotic and are dangerous to public health and to the environment (1). At the same time, drug-resistant pathogens themselves, which include bacteria and viruses, are spread-ing in wastewater and are also causing significant impacts on water quality, public health, animal health, and food safety (2, 3). Developing countries are more vulnerable to these potential threats than developed countries because of geographical and socio- economic factors (4). One effective strategy to reduce the risk these threats pose could be to improve water treatment plants in developing countries to remove antibiotic residues, thereby reducing the entry of these resistant genes and bacteria into essential water sources. In addition, the importance of detecting parasites resistant to disinfectants or treatments in wastewater cannot be overstated for several reasons. First, early detec-tion of resistant parasites aids in safeguarding public health by identifying potential risks and enabling prompt interventions to mitigate infection spread (4, 55). Second, consistent monitoring of resistance in wastewater facilitates the development of im-proved disinfection techniques