AMR
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Antimicrobrial resistance orAMR is one of the biggest risks to public health.
Antimicrobial agents are used to combat infection. They include antibiotics, but not all antibiotics are antimicrobials.
Common infections are harder to treat, and surgery is riskier, as antibiotics are commonly used to prevent and treat infections that can follow surgical intervention. Drug resistance is making the control and treatment of many diseases, including malaria, leprosy, HIV and tuberculosis, increasingly difficult.
Antimicrobials can attack a range of microorganisms, like viruses, parasites and fungi in humans, animals and plants. Antibiotics specifically target bacteria and are no use against viruses.
All are becoming resistant to treatment, because of changes and adaptations in microorganisms. Resistant microorganisms are commonly called superbugs.
Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons
Sir Alexander Fleming (1881-1955) discovered penicillin in 1928. It was described as ‘the single greatest victory ever achieved over disease.’ Previously, sulphonamides had been used to fight infection, but had unpleasant common side effects including nausea, skin rashes and headache. More severe consequences might also be experienced, like liver or kidney malfunction or anaphylaxis.
Penicillin was hailed as a miracle cure, but even as he accepted his Nobel Prize in Medicine, in 1945, Fleming warned that misuse could lead to resistance to the drug, and so it proved. Misuse and overuse combined to make all antimicrobials less effective and to drive the development of drug-resistant germs.
New antibiotics are being developed, some of which are still only at the animal-testing stage. WHO (World Health Organisation) has outlined 40 priorities for research into antimicrobial resistance, with answers required by 2030.
It is a grim outlook.
Fue un gran descubrimiento. Te mando un beso.
ReplyDeleteGracias 😀
DeleteHere's an interesting fact: a few years ago when I had an ear infection the doctor I saw at the time remarked that such infections and now resistant to all the newer "...cillin" type antibiotics so he would prescribe me the old-fashioned original, penicillin, because to the evolved superbugs it would be something new and it worked!
ReplyDelete"were" now resistant...
ReplyDeleteThat's quite amazing.
DeleteRiver's comment was interesting how the superbug was treated by the old penicillin and it worked.
ReplyDeleteYes, that is interesting.
DeleteI know that Tripler Hospital avoids giving antibiotics unless absolutely. I'm just grateful for vaccines.
ReplyDeleteSome doctors used to prescribe antibiotics as a matter of course and some patients demand them for everything - foolhardy.
DeleteI am heartened that the niece of my longtime American travel companion has elected to research an aspect of anti-microbial resistance for her PhD thesis. This remarkable young woman's CV has a list of American academic honors as long as your arm (graduated summa cum laude, elected to Phi Beta Kappa etc etc.) so I can say for a fact that at least one first class and very determined mind is on the case!
ReplyDeleteCheers, Gail.
Excellent! These are the people who should be lauded and publicly commended.
DeleteIt is a worrying state of affairs.
ReplyDeleteIt is, indeed.
DeleteFleming really was one of the most important men in medical history. And he was even more clever when he warned that misuse of penicillin could lead to drug resistance. The only thing I would want to add is Howard Florey’s vital role in the story.
ReplyDeletehttps://melbourneblogger.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-true-story-of-penicillin-fleming.html
It is often the case that one person's name and research becomes associated in the public mind with success, while other, equally gifted and hard-working people are less lauded.
DeleteThank you for the link. I had heard of Florey and Chain but this filled in the gaps.
It's all a but worrying, isn't it.
ReplyDeleteWhen I had my emergency dental visit, the dentist asked how I felt about antibiotics. I replied that I wasn't keen but would take them if it was absolutely necessary. So she dealt with the problem by drilling, cleaning and filling, sent me off tablet free and it was fine. I wonder if I'd have been given a precautionary dose, had I responded differently. It made me think . . .
xx
I know of too many people, apparently well-educated and who should know better, who still treat antibiotics like painkillers and stop taking them before finishing the course. Of course, they won't be told . . . makes me so cross.
ReplyDeleteIt took several rounds of a strong antibiotic last year to finally clear the prostatitis that inflicted me. Let us hope that there is a good future for various treatments.
ReplyDeleteWe take these things for granted, until they cease to work as effectively - or at all.
DeleteYikes! The same thing is happening with weed control at the farm. weeds are finding ways to become resistant to herbicides that have worked in the past. It is fascinating how nature works, but scary at the same time.
ReplyDeleteYes, Nature fights back and often wins.
DeleteThis is so worrying ... Mr. Fleming was a wise man to warn against misuse! xxx
ReplyDeleteThe trouble is that people did not pay heed, just like climate change.
DeleteThere's been so much misuse of antibiotics, not only use by humans but use by farmers to animals. I recently read that UTI's are becoming more and more untreatable. A UTI for the elderly can be deadly. That's just one example of the crisis we are already starting to face.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realise the effect UTIs could have until my late mother-in-law's experiences - awful.
DeleteI have heard about this, very thought provoking Janice. A very interesting post, thank you!
ReplyDeleteIt's just another thing/problem that has been brushed under the carpet, to be thought about 'later'.
DeleteHis discovery really changed medicine
ReplyDeleteIt did and its misuse is changing medicine again.
DeleteSome countries allow farmed animals to received antibiotics in their food to prevent infections. Ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteQuite, and this results in secondary use in consumers of the meat. Slowly, slowly it is changing.
DeleteIt's very concerning.
ReplyDeleteI have been fortunate not to have required antibiotics in recent years. I hope now I've said that it doesn't pre-empt an illness that may require them! However, if you are prescribed them it is so important to take the complete course and so many don't always do this!
All the best Jan
I think people often regard them in the same way as analgesics, and they're not. Pain relief is a secondary consequence as the infection is quelled.
DeleteBy not following the advice of Sir Alexander Fleming in the overuse of penicillin we have created more problems for ourselves. At the same time when they are required it is important to finish the whole course even if we feel better earlier.
ReplyDeletePeople are very poor at taking advice. Sometimes, I think they just don't listen - or believe - what they're advised to do.
Delete