Antimicrobial Resistance Mechanisms | HealthInfi

One of the most pressing global health issues is the problem of resistance to antimicrobial drugs. Antimicrobial resistance contributes to the uncontrolled increase in the number of pathogenic microorganisms, which leads to higher levels of infectious diseases.

Antimicrobial resistance complicates the prevention and treatment of diseases, caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. More and more countries are beginning to focus on this issue, as it poses a threat not just to countries on the individual level, but to the whole world.

For this reason, the global action plan on antimicrobial resistance was adopted in May, 2015 at the 68 World Health Assembly.

One of the five strategic objectives of the plan is to strengthen the evidence base through global surveillance and researches in the field of antimicrobial resistance. According to statistics, the number of antibacterial drugs in recent years has increased, along with which antimicrobial resistance has also shown a considerable growth.

A number of factors contributes to the growth of drug resistance level. As pointed out by the WHO in 10 facts on antimicrobial resistance, the use of sub-therapeutic doses of antibiotics in animal and poultry feed contributes to antibiotic resistance increase.

The other factors, contributing to antimicrobial resistance also include weak surveillance systems, poor infection control and prevention. Great concern with the issue of drug resistance development served as the basis for the global antimicrobial resistance researches, carried out by the WHO in collaboration with member states.

In 2014, the WHO presented a paper “Antimicrobial resistance: Global report on surveillance in 2014”, which identified the key areas of the fight against antimicrobial resistance. The main attention was paid to the antibacterial resistance in the treatment of such diseases, as malaria, tuberculosis and HIV.

It should be noted that modern medicine distinguishes two types of antimicrobial resistance:

–  acquired

– natural (intrinsic)

The appearance of acquired resistance in a microorganism is not always associated with the reduction in clinical efficacy of antibacterial drugs. Such antimicrobial resistance develops under the influence of various environmental factors. As a result of this influence, the microbe acquires new properties or loses its old qualities.Read More