A microbial X-factor with Charles Darwin chairing the judges

Wednesday 30 Apr 2014 A new UN report concludes bacteria around the globe are evolving resistance to antibiotics, leaving us facing a !a"or threat to public health#$ A bit li%e a worldwide !icrobial &'factor with (harles )arwin chairing the "udges, it finds overuse or !isuse of antibiotics are causing strains of al!ost untreatable bacteria to e!erge in nearly every corner of the globe#

The World Health Organisation (WHO) report reveals bacteria are gaining the edge over the drugs of last resort we rely on to fight infections # *t also finds that wor% to spot resistance evolving and then contain it is woefully inade+uate# Without urgent coordinated action fro! !any sta%eholders, the world is headed for a post' antibiotic era in which co!!on infections an !inor in"uries which have been treatable for decades,$ said )r ,ei"i -u%ada, the W./ assistant director general for health security# 0he report focuses on nine %ey bacteria1drug co!binations and finds evidence of resistance in all si2 global regions defined by the UN# *n 3urope strains of Neisseria gonorrhoea which cause the epony!ous se2ually trans!itted disease have e!erged that are al!ost untreatable with any antibiotics#

*n the 3astern 4editerranean and the A!ericas drug resistant 3#coli are a particular concern# A pneu!onia'causing bacteriu! called ,lebsiella is also increasingly drug'resistant# *n so!e parts of the A!ericas as !any as 50 per cent of 6taphylococcus aureus are resistant to !ethicillin drugs 7 8better %now as 496A:# )ata fro! Africa was patchy, but the report esti!ates in so!e settings ;0 per cent of 6taph# aureus are 496A# 0his report e!phasises the fact drug resistance is one of the greatest threats facing hu!anity,$ said <rof Neil Woodford, head of anti!icrobial resistance at <ublic .ealth 3ngland# *t star%ly defines the proble!, but also highlights one of the !ain challenges of doing anything about it# *n co!piling the study its authors found there is no coordinated way of !easuring antibiotic resistance around the world, nor are there efforts to control the use of antibiotics to prevent it occurring# 0he report calls for tougher rules on antibiotic prescribing by doctors# *t also de!ands !ore research into new tests to +uic%ly diagnose resistant bugs and design new antibiotics to control the!# =ut the action )r -u%eda calls for will be hard to deliver# *n !any countries health syste!s are developing fast > re+uiring use of antibiotics# 0he sudden increase in use, often without strict prescribing rule is fuelling resistance# 0he phar!aceutical industry has also been slow to develop new classes of antibiotics# -or so!e infections no new drugs have beco!e available for decades# ?iven traditionally low profits fro! antibiotics, phar!a co!panies have generally avoided investing heavily in the!# Although it@s li%ely the i!portance of antibiotics will be ta%en a lot !ore seriously once they beco!e increasingly ineffective at %eeping us alive# WHOs list of drug resistant bacteria: 3scherichia coli 83#coli:A urinary tract and blood strea! infections# ,lebsiella pneu!oniaA pneu!onia, urinary tract and blood strea! infections 6taphylococcus aureus 8496A:A wound and blood strea! infections 6treptococcus pneu!oniaA pneu!onia, !eningitis, ear infections Nontyphoidal sal!onellaA diarrhoea Neisseria gonorrhoeaA gonorrhoea ollow !To"#lar$e#% on Twitter - See more at: http://blogs.channel4.com/tom-clar e-on-science/microbial-!factor-

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