Antibiotics are a class of medications used to treat bacterial infections. Discovered in the 19th century, antibiotics remain one of the most commonly prescribed medications in the world. However, many bacterial strains, including those responsible for tuberculosis and sexually transmitted infections, are becoming more resistant to available antibiotics. This phenomenon, known as antibiotic resistance, is growing more prevalent.
The World Health Organization ranks antibiotic resistance as one of the most challenging global health issues, and the consequences are severe. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention projects that more than 30 million Americans with chronic illnesses are at risk of contracting drug-resistant infections, while a further 650,000 individuals with cancer are vulnerable to bacterial infections due to chemotherapy and other treatments. Physicians also prescribe antibiotics preventatively for several conditions, including post-surgery to prevent infections. As more bacteria become resistant, the risk of contracting a fatal infection increases.
Antibiotic resistance has several causes. For many decades, doctors prescribed antibiotics for patients with viral infections, creating a medical culture that fostered antibiotic overuse. This proves especially prevalent in countries where antibiotics have become recently available. The use of antibiotics in patients without bacterial infections does not alleviate symptoms or accelerate wellness; instead, it destroys harmless bacteria and increases the likelihood of these strains developing resistance. Bacteria can then pass on their resistance mechanism to other, more dangerous strains.
Resistance also develops due to the misuse of prescription antibiotics. People often stop taking their medication once their symptoms have disappeared. However, if a patient does not finish the full course of antibiotics, a sizable percentage of the bacteria remains. These bacteria, which were already more difficult to kill, now require more intensive and longer treatments than the original strain.
A similar reaction occurs due to antibiotic use in livestock. Farmers may give antibiotics to an entire herd to prevent an outbreak. Since many of the same bacteria that infect animals can also infect humans, this can accelerate antibiotic resistance.
Another emerging issue involves the appearance of pan-resistant bacteria. There are more than two dozen different types of antibiotics, such that if a bacterial infection does not respond to one type, another, stronger type may be effective. However, several bacterial strains have developed resistance to several classes of antibiotics, and some strains of staphylococcus and E. coli have become resistant to all known antibiotics. These “superbugs” can require more extensive treatment and result in costly hospital stays; in the worst-case scenario, these infections can be fatal.
Infectious disease experts advocate for changes to both individual behaviors and industry-wide practices to prevent antibiotic resistance. People should practice basic hygiene to avoid becoming infected with bacterial infections in the first place. In addition, doctors advise completing all rounds of prescribed antibiotics, and never taking them unless prescribed.
Moreover, experts call on the agricultural sector to eliminate widespread antibiotic use. Health care workers must also be vigilant about the spread of resistant strains in the hospital setting by following sanitation protocols and recording any instances of these infections.
