Antibiotic resistance explained

The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that antibiotic resistance is rising to dangerously high levels in all parts of the world. New methods of resistance have been reported and are spreading globally. This has a serious impact worldwide, as it threatens our inability to treat common infectious diseases.

As a result, an increasing amount of infections – including pneumonia, tuberculosis, blood poisoning, gonorrhoea, and foodborne diseases – are all becoming more difficult, and sometimes impossible, to treat as antibiotics become less effective.

When first-line antibiotics stop working to fight infections, more expensive treatments must be used. This can result in a longer duration of illness and treatment, often in hospitals, increasing the costs of healthcare as well as the economic burden on families and societies.

Antibiotic resistance threatens the achievements of modern medicine. Organ transplants, chemotherapy, and surgeries such as caesarean sections become more dangerous without effective antibiotics to prevent and treat infections. Antibiotic resistance could lead to a post-antibiotic era, in which common infections and minor injuries can once again cause mortality.

Sir Alexander Flemming, who discovered the first antibiotic, raised the concern about their overuse as early as 1945. There is significant evidence to show a relationship between antibiotic consumption and the emergence of resistant bacteria strains. It is clear that the overuse of antibiotics is making antibiotics less effective. Despite warnings, antibiotics are still being overprescribed worldwide.

A 2018 study funded by Public Health England found that as many as 1 in 5 antibiotics are inappropriately prescribed in the UK. These cases often involve antibiotics being prescribed for sore throats, coughs, sinusitis and ear infections. Inappropriate prescribing can sometimes occur when a doctor does not have access to diagnostic equipment, such as via video-only consultations.

WHO has urged farmers and the food industry to stop using antibiotics routinely to promote growth and prevent disease in healthy animals.

There has been little progress in discovering new antibiotics since the 1980s. In order to prevent antibiotic resistance, we need to develop more medications.

While medicinal regulation is important in protecting patients and ensuring safety in treatments prescribed, it can also stifle the development of new antibiotics.

Gonorrhoea is the third-most prevalent sexually transmitted infection in the UK. It is commonly treated with antibiotics. However, the Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacterium that causes it, has become especially resistant to antibiotic treatment. The phrase ‘super gonorrhoea’ has been used by the media to describe a strain of gonorrhoea that has developed resistance to antibiotics.

E. coli, also known as Escherichia coli, is a common form of bacteria usually found in the intestines. Most types of E. coli are harmless and exist naturally in the gut. However, some strains of E. coli can lead to serious food poisoning and infection. Public Health England reveals a 1.68% average increase in strains of E. coli resistant bacteria to six separate antibiotics.

K. pneumoniae (Klebsiella pneumoniae) are bacteria usually found in the intestines and feces. K. pneumoniae infections are most commonly seen in those with weakened immune systems and can cause pneumonia and bronchitis. K. pneumoniae is resistant to at least six of the major antibiotics. Public Health England states that the prevalence of cases is increasing by 1.68%.

KO (Klebsiella oxytoca) is one of several Klebsiella bacteria found in the intestinal tract, mouth and nose. Inside your gut, they are considered healthy gut bacteria. However, outside of your gut, KO can cause serious infections. Singh, Cariappa and Kaur (2016) found that KO has a higher drug resistance than its contemporary, K. pneumoniae. Public Health England reports cases of KO increased by an average of 0.26% between 2013 and 2017.

MRSA (meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is a type of bacteria that’s resistant to several major antibiotics. This means MRSA infections are usually harder to treat than other bacterial infections. As a result of this, MRSA has been coined as a ‘superbug’ in the media.