A public health emergency is looming due to the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which could lead to a catastrophic increase in infection-related deaths worldwide. New research published in Communications Medicine warns that the use of antibiotics has increased globally, making bacteria increasingly resistant to multiple antibiotics.
Multidrug-resistance, where bacteria become resistant to all known antibiotics, poses a significant threat to public health. According to lead author Benjamin Koch, once a pathogen gains resistance to all known antibiotics, the impact on public health can be dramatic and rapid, rather than gradual.
Researchers modeled the impact of one hypothetical pan-resistant strain of E. coli on sepsis deaths in the United States, showing that sepsis deaths could increase by 18-46 times just five years after introduction. The study highlights that pan-resistant bacteria will affect every population worldwide, erasing advantages typically found in high-income countries.
However, there is good news: actions can be taken to reduce the risk and slow antibiotic resistance. Governments, industry, and individuals can work together to strengthen policies around safe use of antibiotics, incentivize new antibiotic development, and promote technologies that monitor emergence and spread of resistance.
To combat this threat, people should use antibiotics only when necessary and support policies that strengthen stewardship of existing antibiotics. Globally, improving antibiotic stewardship in human, veterinary medicine, and food-animal production is crucial to reducing the forces that promote evolution and dissemination of antibiotic-resistant pathogens.
Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-health-emergency-bottom-antibiotic-resistance.html