Are there any real hypotheses for developing new and more active antibiotics?
Do we really know the extent of the phenomenon? How widespread and in which areas in the world?
Is it possible to control the patient-to-patient transmission of these pathogens, through what is called 'infection control', at the level of health facilities?
Is there still room for a prudent and rational use of antibiotics, to counter infections and to minimize the selective pressure that selects resistant bacteria, ie for the strategy known as antimicrobial stewardship?
Is it possible, finally, to improve and make microbiological diagnostics faster and more efficient?
Dear Teresa...
I asked a question in the same field; Which one evolves faster, the microbe or antimicrobial?, and I highly recommend Dr. Alan Coulson answer which was:
"I would think that the microbes evolve faster than anti-microbials, otherwise there wold be no microbes left.
The impact of this line of thinking is that eventually only microbes will be left to inherit this planet. In the millions of years ahead living conditions have been predicted to involve extremes of heat and cold and radiation; thus complex organisms would not be able to survive."
Regards.
Instead of finding novel antibiotics to fight 'super bugs', scientists are engineering bacteriophage to kill these tough bacteria using CRISPR technology. See this report here:
First paragraph from the report:
"Earlier this month, the annual CRISPR 2017 conference was held at Montana State University. Attendees were the first to hear about successes companies have had using CRISPR to engineer viruses to kill bacteria. One of the most exciting potential application for these viruses, called bacteriophages, would be killing bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics. At least two of the companies aim to start clinical trials of these engineered viruses within 18 to 24 months."
Read on at: https://futurism.com/scientists-modify-viruses-with-crispr-to-kill-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria/
Until high end technology cone to bedside, limiting access to antibiotics like in country like India , it is easy to get antibiotics and consume it till one wants often unsupervised, leads to more and irrational consumption. Access to antibiotics should be limited and only under doctors prescription and also monitored if possible in order to limit misuse. Ignorance and this practice of over the counter sort of availability is big cause in India that is one of biggest consumers of antibiotics in the world.
Owing to the fact that launching new drug takes years in the making and changing times make the drug research much stringent and lengthy process, it is in our wider interest to collectively take small steps and force our respective governments to amend ways to make a world where we stand a chance against ever evolving bugs.
Personally I think that strong implementation of Infection Prevention and Control in every health care facility will highly contribute to stem antibacterial resistance in this world.
clean care will reduce new infections then reduce use of antibacterial or antibiotics leading to the reduction of emerging of resistance.
When infection by multi-drug resistance bacterial occurs in a health care facility, isolation of the patient will prevent the spread of this microbe which will lead to reducing of antibiotic consumption then reducing the resistance phenomena.
Raising public awareness of the good use of antibiotics will also reduce this phenomenon of resistance to antibiotics...
It is true that the physicians must do their part on the prevention and the most appropriate and rational treatment of infections but must also request and demand from the Governors of each country health policies in line with the times and with the country where they live.
Thank you all for your contribution.
A 'superbug' called 'Nightmare superbug' is spreading in the US. It contains antibiotic-resistant genes and is resistant to most antibiotics. It is scary in knowing that there is no more antibiotics to kill this bacteria.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/04/03/nightmare-bacteria-antibiotic-resistant-stalk-hospitals/482162002/ (‘Nightmare’ bacteria, resistant to almost every drug, stalk U.S. hospitals')---USA Today
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