Effective antibiotics have been one of the pillars that has allowed us to live longer and with a better quality of life. However, our way of producing, prescribing and using drugs, certainly abusive, brings with it the development of immunity in the microorganisms that cause multiple infections . As a result, treatments are prolonged and microbes spread exponentially, rendering the most common diseases deadly.
According to the latest report by the World Health Organization, based on data from 114 countries, antimicrobial resistance is a serious threat that is no longer a forecast for the future and is now a reality in all regions of the world. Antimicrobial resistance is the phenomenon whereby a microorganism (including bacteria, viruses and some parasites) is no longer affected by an antimicrobial to which it was previously sensitive, so that the effect of the drug is neutralized. Said resistance arises by the mutation of the microorganism, by the acquisition of the resistance gene, or even by the formation of clumps.
The report notes that resistance is affecting many infectious agents, but it targets seven bacteria responsible for common serious infections, such as septicemia, diarrhea, pneumonia, urinary tract infections or gonorrhea. “The world is heading into a post-antibiotic era in which common infections and minor injuries that have been treatable for decades will once again become life threatening,” said Keiji Fukuda, WHO Deputy Director-General for Health Security.
For the experts, the key measures in the prevention of microbial resistance are to limit antibiotics and influence better hygiene , access to drinking water and control of infections in health centers and vaccination. Patients, for their part, should use antibiotics only when prescribed by a doctor, complete treatment even if they feel better, and not medicate other people.
