In its first global report on antimicrobial resistance, released Wednesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) says “a post-antibiotic era–in which common infections and minor injuries can kill–is a very real possibility for the 21st century.”
The report, “Antimicrobial resistance: global report on surveillance,” notes that resistance is occurring across many different infectious agents but the report focuses on antibiotic resistance in seven different bacteria responsible for common, serious diseases such as bloodstream infections (sepsis), diarrhoea, pneumonia, urinary tract infections and gonorrhoea. The results are cause for high concern, documenting resistance to antibiotics, especially “last resort” antibiotics, in all regions of the world.
“There’s been a tendency in the past for people to think that antibiotics are risk-free drugs that people should ask for and take any time they’re feeling a little bit ill. That’s not correct,” the CDC’s Dr. Steve Solomon told NBC news. “So carefully using antibiotics is really the most important thing that we can do.”
Key findings from the report include:
- Resistance to the treatment of last resort for life-threatening infections caused by a common intestinal bacteria, Klebsiella pneumoniae–carbapenem antibiotics–has spread to all regions of the world. K. pneumoniae is a major cause of hospital-acquired infections such as pneumonia, bloodstream infections, infections in newborns and intensive-care unit patients. In some countries, because of resistance, carbapenem antibiotics would not work in more than half of people treated for K. pneumoniae infections.
- Resistance to one of the most widely used antibacterial medicines for the treatment of urinary tract infections caused by E. coli–fluoroquinolones–is very widespread. In the 1980s, when these drugs were first introduced, resistance was virtually zero. Today, there are countries in many parts of the world where this treatment is now ineffective in more than half of patients.
- Treatment failure to the last resort of treatment for gonorrhoea–third generation cephalosporins–has been confirmed in Austria, Australia, Canada, France, Japan, Norway, Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden and the United Kingdom. More than 1 million people are infected with gonorrhoea around the world every day.
- Antibiotic resistance causes people to be sick for longer and increases the risk of death. For example, people with MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) are estimated to be 64 percent more likely to die than people with a non-resistant form of the infection. Resistance also increases the cost of health care with lengthier stays in hospital and more intensive care required.
The WHO says there is a need for a global action plan, including:
– better use of vaccines;
– basic hand hygiene to reduce infections, such as washing hands;
– reduction of non-health uses of antimicrobial drugs;
– support of research that will lead to new and better diagnostic tests;
– and better surveillance, to get a better overall global antimicrobial resistance.
