Dr u gr e s i s t a n c e [ An t i mi c r o b i a lr e s i s t a n c e ] ByMo s o p eOs o s a n y a
Phot oc r edi t :Br i t anni c a
1
Dr ugr es i s t anc e[ Ant i mi c r obi alr es i s t anc e] Ther ear emi l l i onsofi nf ec t i ousdi s eas est odayi nt hewor l dwi t hs omany dr ugst ot r eatt hem.Overt i met hes edi s eas ec aus i ngor gani s ms( whi c h i nc l udes ,f ungi ,vi r us es ,bac t er i a)mayev ol veandbec omer es i s t antt odr ugs t hatt r eat edt hem ef f ec t i v el ybef or e,t her ebymak i ngi ti mpos s i bl et oc ont r ol t hes epat hogens .Thi smayl eadt os er i ousi l l nes s ,pr ol ongedhos pi t al ss t ay, i nc r eas edmedi c albi l l s ,andev endeat h.
Whati sant i mi c r obi alr es i s t anc e( AMR) TheWor l dHeal t hOr gani z at i ons t at edt hat"Ant i mi c r obi alr es i s t anc e devel opswhenbac t er i a,vi r us es ,f ungi ,andpar as i t esc hangeovert i meand nol ongerr es pondt omedi c i nemak i ngi nf ec t i onshar dert ot r eatand i nc r eas i ngt her i s kofdi s eas es pr ead,s ev er ei l l nes s ,anddeat h". Whenpat hogens ,ot her wi s eknownasmi c r obesbec omer es i s t antt o t r eat ment ,t hey' l lmakemi l di nf ec t i ont ur noutt obec omec hr oni candl i f et hr eat eni ngwhi c hmayf i nal l yl eadt odeat h.
Caus esofant i mi c r obi alr es i s t anc e( AMR) AMRi smeantt ooc c urnat ur al l y .Asmi c r obesev ol ve,c hangesar emadei n t hei rgenet i cmak eupwhi c hc aus est hem t obec omer es i s t antt o Ant i mi c r obi al .Thef ol l owi ngar es omeoft henat ur alc aus esofAMR. Mut at i on:Mos tmi c r obesr epr oduc er api dl ybydi v i s i on.Thei rpr ogeny adapt squi c k l yt onewenvi r onment alc ondi t i ons .Someoft hes e adapt at i onsofmi c r obesbr i ngaboutt hemut at i onoft hei rgenes , t her ebymaki ngt hem r es i s t antandabl et os ur vi v et hepr es enc eofan
2
Ant i mi c r obi al . Genet r ans f er : Mi c r obest hathav edr ugr es i s t anc egenest r ans f era c opyoft hei rr es i s t antgenet oot hermi c r obeswi t hnor es i s t anc e whi c hwoul d,i nt ur n,i nc r eas et hepopul at i onofr es i s t antmi c r obes . Sel ec t i v epr es s ur e: I nt hepr es enc eofAnt i mi c r obi al ,nonr es i s t ant mi c r obeswi l lbeel i mi nat edf r om t hepopul at i onwhi l emi c r obeswi t h r es i s t antgeneswoul ds ur v i veandt hr i v e.Whent hes er es i s t ant mi c r obesr epl i c at et hei rof f s pr i ngwoul dbec omet hedomi nantt y pei n t hepopul at i on
Whi l eAMRc anoc c urnat ur al l y ,s omeac t i onsc anqui c kent her es i s t anc eof mi c r obes .I fAnt i mi c r obi ali sus edwr ongl yi ti nc r eas est her i s kofAMR.For ex ampl e,
Notf i ni s hi ngdr ugc our s eoft r eat ment :Whendr ugsar epr es c r i bedf or adur at i on,mos tt i meswedon' tf i ni s ht hedr ugc our s epr obabl y bec aus et hes ympt omshav es ubs i ded.Thi shabi ti nc r eas est her i s kof
3
AMRbec aus emi c r obest hatwer eabl et os ur vi v et endt obec ome r es i s t antandmul t i pl ymak i ngt heper s oni l lagai n,Andt hi st i met he pr evi ousmedi c at i onwi l lhav enoef f ec tont hemi c r obesbec aus et hey hav edev el opedr es i s t anc e. Over us eofAnt i mi c r obi al :Over us eofdr ugsc anc aus emi c r obest o bui l dr es i s t anc eagai ns tant i mi c r obi alandwi t ht i mei twi l lhav eno ef f ec tont hes emi c r obesc aus i ngt hem t omul t i pl yandc aus es er i ous i l l nes s Uns pec i f i cdi agnos i s :Heal t hpr of es s i onal ss omet i mesmak egues s es bas edont hei rpr evi ousex per i enc est odi agnos et hedi s eas eaf f ec t i ng apat i ent ,whi c hmaybewr ong.Thus ,wr ongorbr oads pec t r um dr ugs woul dber ec ommended.Thi ss i t uat i onenhanc ess el ec t i v epr es s ur e henc ei nc r eas i ngt her i s kofAMR. I nappr opr i at eus eofdr ugsands el f medi c at i on:Thei nappr opr i at eus e ofAnt i mi c r obi alc ani nc r eas et her i s kofr es i s t anc e.Fori ns t anc e, ant i bi ot i c sar eus edt ot r eatbac t er i ali nf ec t i onsbuti gnor ant l yweus e t hem t ot r eatvi r aldi s eas es .As t udyhaspr ovent hatonl y15% of c as esofs or et hr oatar ec aus edbyt hes t r ept oc oc c usbac t er i um,whi l e ot her sar ev i r ali nf ec t i ons .Thi ss i mpl yi mpl i est hatnotal lc as esof s or et hr oatc anbet r eat edwi t hant i bi ot i c s . Wes houl dbever yc ar ef ulabouts el f medi c at i on,s owedon' tendup us i ngt hewr ongmedi c at i on,whi c hc ani nc r eas et her i s kofAMR. Ef f ec t sofAnt i mi c r obi alr es i s t anc e Ant i mi c r obi alr es i s t anc ehasaver ybadef f ec tont hewor l dandi fnott aken s er i ous l yc oul dpr ov easat hr eatt ohumani t yi nt henear es tf ut ur e. AMRt hr eat enst heabi l i t yt ot r eatc ommoni nf ec t i onsl i kemal ar i a, 4
t uber c ul os i s ,gonor r hea,f oodpoi s oni ng,f l u,c hol er a,t y phoi d,di ar r hoea,et c . i tal s ol eadst opr ol ongedhos pi t als t ay s ;t heneedf ormor eex pens i vedr ugs ; hi ghdemandf orf i nanc es ;andev ent ual l y,i nc r eas edmor t al i t yr at e. Wi t houtef f ec t i v eAnt i mi c r obi al ,maj or&mi nors ur ger i es ,or gan t r ans pl ant at i on,c es ar eans ec t i on,andc anc erc hemot her apywoul dbe ex t r emel ydanger ous . AMRwasdec l ar edbyWHOasoneoft het opt enpubl i cheal t ht hr eat s f ac i nghumani t y .
Sol ut i onst oAnt i mi c r obi alr es i s t anc e
Topr ev entAnt i mi c r obi alf r om l os i ngi t spot enc y ,t hef ol l owi ngs t epss houl d bet ak en; Av oi dover us ageofdr ugsandc ont ac taheal t hpr of es s i onali f s ympt omsofani l l nes sper s i s taf t ert her ec ommendedper i odof dr ugus age. Us edr ugspr ec i s el yast hedoc t orr ec ommendsandmakes ur et o f i ni s ht hewhol ec our s eev ent houghs y mpt omshav es ubs i ded Asmuc haspos s i bl eavoi ds el f medi c at i on.Don' tus edr ugsex c ept youar es i c kori thasbeenpr es c r i bedf orus e.Tr eatt hei l l nes sand notj us tt hes ympt oms . Pr ac t i c egoodhygi enel i ke;was hi ngourhandsbef or eeat i ngand af t erus i ngt het oi l et ;heal t hyf oodpr epar at i ont ec hni ques .Al l t hes ewoul dpr eventi nf ec t i onshenc er educ i ngt heneedf ordr ugs Vac c i nat i oni sal way sbet t ert hant r eat mentasi twoul dal s or educ e
5
t heneedoft ak i ngmedi c at i on
Ov er v i ew Ant i mi c r obi alr es i s t anc ei sbec omi ngas er i ousc as eev er ydayands houl d notbet ak enl i ght l y.Somanymedi c at i onst hatwer ever yef f ec t i v ei nt he pas tar ebec omi ngi mpot ent ,hav i ngnoef f ec tonpat hogens . Sc i ent i s t sar ewor k i ngt owar dst hei nv ent i onofnewandmor eef f ec t i ve Ant i mi c r obi al .Aspat i ent s ,wes houl dus edr ugsonpr es c r i pt i on,c ompl et e f ul lc our s et r eat ment ,andpr ac t i c egoodhygi eneands ani t at i on.Thi sway wewoul dr educ et hec hanc esofAnt i mi c r obi alr es i s t anc e.
Ref erence Wor l dHeal thOr gani zati on.( 2014,Apr i l20) .WHO' sf i r stgl obalr epor ton anti bi oti cr esi stancer eveal sser i ous,wor l dwi dethr eattopubl i cheal th [ Pr essr el ease]
Fori nqui r y,contactauthor emai l :mspososanya@gmai l . com Copyr i ght© 2021Wr i ttenbyMosopeOsosanya Al lr i ghtr eser ved.
6