{"id":233381,"date":"2023-04-17T12:00:59","date_gmt":"2023-04-17T11:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=233381"},"modified":"2023-04-12T04:55:00","modified_gmt":"2023-04-12T03:55:00","slug":"superbugs-among-top-10-threats-to-whole-cycle-of-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2023\/04\/superbugs-among-top-10-threats-to-whole-cycle-of-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Superbugs among Top 10 Threats to Whole Cycle of Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

11 Apr 2023 – <\/em>Research after research, world\u2019s scientists renew their loud alerts against the high dangers of human-driven \u2018superbugs\u2019 \u2013 bacterias and pathogens that no longer respond to antimicrobials, making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death.<\/p>\n

No way.<\/div>\n
\""If<\/p>\n

\u201cIf people do not change the way antibiotics are used now, these new antibiotics will suffer the same fate as the current ones and become ineffective\u201d . <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Credit: Adil Siddiqi\/IPS<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The pressure of giant industrial sectors appear to be heavier than the needed political well to reduce the dangerous impacts of the excessive use of those drugs which are widely employed to prevent and treat infections in humans, aquaculture, livestock, and crop production.<\/p>\n

Antibiotics<\/b> are perhaps the most familiar ones, but there are many others, including numerous antivirals, antifungals and antiparasitic agents that have been largely used and misused to treat diseases but that end up spreading them.<\/span><\/p>\n

They are known as \u2018superbugs\u2019 resulting from their increasing resistance to those medicines. And they are antimicrobial resistant germs which are found in people, animals, food, plants and the environment (in water, soil and air).<\/p>\n

\u201cThey can spread from person to person or between people and animals, including from food of animal origin,\u201d as further explained<\/a> by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Such an increasing abuse of antimicrobials and other microbial stressors (e.g. the presence of heavy metals and other pollutants) creates favourable conditions for microorganisms to develop resistance.<\/p>\n

The big threat<\/b><\/em><\/h3>\n

They represent one of the most complex threats to global health, and food safety and security. Much so that the World Health Organization (WHO<\/a>) lists Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) among the top 10 threats for global health.<\/p>\n

The emergence and spread of drug-resistant pathogens that have acquired new resistance mechanisms, leading to antimicrobial resistance, continues to threaten the ability to treat common infections, WHO explains<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Alarming advance of multi-resistant bacterias<\/b><\/em><\/h3>\n

\u201cEspecially alarming\u201d is the rapid global spread of multi- and pan-resistant bacterias that cause infections that are not treatable with existing antimicrobial medicines such as antibiotics.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe clinical pipeline of new antimicrobials is dry.\u201d In 2019 WHO identified 32 antibiotics in clinical development that address its list of priority pathogens, of which only six were classified as innovative.<\/p>\n

Moreover, estimates suggest that by 2050 up to 10 million additional direct deaths could occur annually. That is on par with the 2020 rate of global deaths from cancer.<\/p>\n

Additionally, in the next decade, AMR could result in a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) shortfall of at least 3.4 trillion US dollars annually and push 24 million more people into extreme poverty.<\/p>\n

Antibiotics, increasingly ineffective<\/b><\/em><\/h3>\n

According to the World Health Organization, the lack of access to quality antimicrobials remains a major issue. Antibiotic shortages are affecting countries of all levels of development and especially in health-care systems.<\/p>\n

\u201cAntibiotics are becoming increasingly ineffective as drug-resistance spreads globally leading to more difficult to treat infections and death.\u201d<\/p>\n

New antibiotics urgently needed<\/b><\/em><\/h3>\n

New antibacterials are urgently needed \u2013 for example, to treat carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacterial infections as identified in the WHO priority pathogen list.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, if people do not change the way antibiotics are used now, these new antibiotics will suffer the same fate as the current ones and become ineffective.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, FAO reports<\/a>, \u201cthe situation is expected to worsen as global demand for food increases,\u201d adding that it is therefore paramount that the agrifood systems are progressively transformed to reduce the need for antimicrobials.<\/p>\n

What drives antimicrobials?<\/b><\/em><\/h3>\n

As mentioned above, such a threat is primarily driven by the excessive application of antimicrobials, the international body adds. In fact, currently, more than 70% of antimicrobials sold worldwide are used in animals for human consumption.<\/p>\n

While AMR occurs naturally over time, usually through genetic changes, FAO reports<\/a> that their main drivers include:<\/p>\n

\u2013 misuse and overuse<\/b> of antimicrobials in human health and agriculture;<\/p>\n

\u2013 lack of access to clean water<\/b>, sanitation and hygiene for both humans and animals;<\/p>\n

\u2013 poor infection and disease prevention<\/b> and control in healthcare facilities and farms;<\/p>\n

\u2013 poor access to quality,<\/b> affordable medicines, vaccines and diagnostics; and<\/p>\n

\u2013 weak enforcement of legislation.<\/b><\/p>\n

Who influences the spread of superbugs?<\/em> <\/b><\/h3>\n

According to UN reports, three economic sector value chains profoundly influence AMR\u2019s development and spread:<\/p>\n