Antibiotics have been helping us fight infections for more than half a century. Before they developed, even a small scratch could be fatal , giving birth and having surgery were far more dangerous, and sexually transmitted infections like syphilis or gonorrhea could be a death sentence. There is no doubt, therefore, that the use of antibiotics has led to an improvement in the quality of life of human beings, but it is also true that the abuse of these drugs is causing a general health problem: resistant bacteria . In this article we tell you everything you need to know about bacteria resistant to antibiotic abuse.
What is the abuse of antibiotics?
Antibiotic abuse occurs when antibiotics are used to treat certain ailments on occasions when they are not really needed . Antibiotics are one of the great advances in medicine, but overprescribing them has led to the emergence of resistant bacteria (bacteria that are more difficult to treat).
As early as 1945 Alexander Fleming, the scientist who discovered penicillin, warned of the danger of relying too much on antibiotics and the threat of bacteria developing resistance . Now, 74 years later, their fears have come true: Some germs that were previously highly sensitive to antibiotics have become increasingly resistant. This can cause more serious infections, such as pneumococcal infections (pneumonia, ear infections, sinus infections, and meningitis), skin infections, and tuberculosis.
The danger of antibiotic abuse
The idea of dying from a superficial cut was unthinkable until a few years ago, but it is fast becoming a possibility thanks to the creation of resistant bacteria from the abuse of antibiotics. Professor Colin Garner, Executive Director of Antibiotic Research UK says we are in real danger of reverting to a pre-antibiotic past, where dirty wounds, bites, and conditions like tuberculosis and typhoid could kill.
The World Health Organization (WHO) states that the resistance of bacteria caused by the abuse of antibiotics is one of the main threats to modern medicine, and that it is increasingly difficult to treat a greater number of common infections, such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, gonorrhea and salmonellosis .
Taking antibiotics for colds and other viral illnesses or for the wrong reasons does not work and can change the bacteria so much that no medicine can kill them . This is called bacterial resistance or resistance to antibiotics. Some bacteria are now resistant to even the most powerful antibiotics available.
This problem had always been present in developing countries because healthcare providers often lack quick and useful diagnostic tools that can identify which diseases are caused by bacteria and which are not, and other environmental factors such as a lack of clean water. , poor sanitation and limited vaccination programs contribute to infections and diseases for which antibiotics are prescribed.
In recent years, however, the emergence of resistant bacteria due to the abuse of antibiotics is also affecting developed countries because people consume antibiotics more frequently, either because they tend to self-medicate without consulting a doctor – for example, taking antibiotics for sore throats – or because they consume meats and eggs from animals that are given antibiotics during their rearing to prevent infection.
How Bacteria Mutate Into Resistant Bacteria
Random DNA mutations occur in bacteria that can help them thrive or have no effect. If a mutation helps a single bacterium survive antibiotic treatment while all the others die, that bacterium will reproduce, spread, and take with it the resistance gene that allows it to survive in a hostile environment.
The antibiotic, when in contact with a bacterial population, kills only weak bacteria, which favors the proliferation of resistant bacteria that present the natural mutation that cancels the action of the antibiotics.
If antibiotics fail, chest infections, urinary tract infections (UTIs), cuts, insect bites, and even small scratches can lead to sepsis (blood poisoning), which can be fatal if not treated quickly . In the UK, five people die every hour from sepsis and the number is on the rise.
UK Sepsis Trust CEO Dr Ron Daniels says that nearly 40% of E. coli – the bacteria that cause a large number of infections – are now resistant to antibiotics and these organisms account for up to a third of all. episodes of sepsis, demonstrating the vital need for responsible use of antimicrobial drugs.
