Antibiotic Resistance

In 1928, Alexander Fleming made a discovery that would change the course of human life. Penicillin, the first true antibiotic!

An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used to treat and prevent such infections. They may either kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria.

They can cure a wide range of diseases, and since their original discovery, several new antibiotics have been discovered.

Like with everything else, excess causes damage. With the onslaught of antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections, more and more bacteria are becoming resistant to these antibiotics. This is not because the drug is flawed, it is because the bacteria are evolving to become unharmed by them.

According to Darwin's Theory of Natural Selection, organisms that develop a mutation that gives them an edge over the other organisms in their species are more likely to survive. That is exactly what is happening with various types of bacteria. Bacteria reproduce at a rapid rate and some randomly mutate to develop into a resistant strain. These resistant strains then transfer their genetic material to other bacteria in the form of sexual reproduction or conjugation.

This eventually leads to an entire type of bacteria becoming resistant to the antibiotic aimed at them. The healthcare system highly relies on antibiotics for a wide range of diseases, and antibiotic resistance can cause unprecedented problems.

This is already happening. Bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus (which causes pneumonia and sepsis), and Escherichia coli (which can cause diarrhoea and kidney failure) have already become resistant to several antibiotics.

There are various causes for this problem. Some of them are:

1. Over-prescription of antibiotics. Prescribing antibiotics for minor infections leads to its overuse. And overuse is what allows bacteria to become resistant.

2. Large-scale usage of antibiotics on cattle, chicken, and other animals in the meat industry, where it is used not only to prevent and treat disease but also to increase the size of fodder. The largest consumer of antibiotics is the agricultural industry.

3. Although new classes of antibiotics were being discovered, they were only effective on a narrow range of bacteria- contrary to the original antibiotics. This wasn't profitable for pharmaceutical companies, which then focused more on the production of drugs for cholesterol, blood pressure, and depression, that are taken life-long.

But, there are some solutions to this crisis. Controlling the use of existing antibiotics, creating new types, and finding new ways to combat bacterial infections is essential.

One alternate approach is the use of bacteriophages, which are viruses that affect bacteria but not humans. Another approach is the development of vaccines for common bacterial diseases, to stop the need for antibiotics for them entirely.

Scientists are great at coming up with new ways to deal with problems, the only thing stopping them is the lack of funding. Only when people and governments realise the seriousness of the problem- and support the biotechnological industry with the funding and support it requires, will we able to provide these solutions.

We must learn from our past mistakes and have enough foresight to prevent the collapse of the backbone of the entire healthcare industry.

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