The Struggle with Antibiotic Resistance
As microbes have evolved increased resistance to the medication that has been used to treat them, the number of antibiotics that are capable of treating patients has decreased. The last antibiotic came out 3 decades ago, so the importance of research and development in this sector is great.
In some countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) claims that antibiotics are overused and over-prescribed. For instance, antibiotics may be given to people when they are not needed. This elevates the problem of antibiotic resistance, because it increases the number of opportunities for microbes to mutate and become resistant to drugs. These mutated microorganisms increase their population, and medications that previously treated diseases caused by microorganisms no longer work. As a result, some infections, including tuberculosis and strep throat, have become much more difficult to treat.
Research at McMaster University is currently being done on gram-negative bacteria. These microbes have a protective shell that very few antibiotics have been able to get past. In the past, the drug pentamidine was used to get rid of parasites. It has been proven that this drug is able to create holes in the shell of bacteria. Pentamidine can be combined with other medications to get rid of microbes altogether.
One of the things we can do is finish all the antibiotics that we are prescribed. Although symptoms may seem to have disappeared before taking all the medication, it is important to use all of it. Some bacteria can still be present in our bodies, and they can mutate to become drug resistant or continue to spread.
More research and development should be done to find antimicrobial drugs because as fewer drugs work, the cost of healthcare increases. In future, infections may need more intensive care than before. Drug resistance occurs naturally, but its rate has increased due to drug misuse. Investing in this area of research is crucial for better treatments in the long run.
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About the Author
I am a Grade 12 student from Toronto, Ontario. As a healthcare journalist for Clinalleve, I want to increase awareness to pharmacy news.
