As the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps over India, affecting many and increasing mortality rates, doctors across the country are prescribing countless medications to patients who don't need them, despite the risk of developing antibiotic-resistant infections. [1]
Despite the low rate of bacterial coinfections when the first wave of COVID-19 hit the UK, too many antibiotics were prescribed, says a study published in the journal The Lancet Microbe. [2]
The question is, is the consumption of such large amounts of antibiotics signaling an evolving epidemic in the COVID-19 pandemic? Take a look at what a new study has to say.
Low- and middle-income nations are disproportionately affected by the large consumption of antibiotics, leading them to antibiotic resistance. To put it simply, antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria and fungi evolve defences that allow them to survive even when exposed to antimicrobial medications. That suggests the bacteria aren't being stopped and are instead multiplying. [3]
The rise in antimicrobial resistance poses a major risk to the success of treatments for infectious diseases, cancer, organ transplants, and critical care. About 700,000 fatalities worldwide are attributed to drug-resistant diseases caused by antimicrobial resistance; without effective intervention, this is expected to rise to 10 million deaths.
Antibiotic resistance is a major problem in India, which has one of the highest age-standardized infectious illness mortality rates in all of south Asia. Nearly half of all cases of hospital-acquired infections are deadly because the Klebsiella spp. isolates are resistant to carbapenems (an antibiotic for severe bacterial infection). Klebsiella is a genus of bacteria responsible for causing hospital-related infections that include pneumonia, wounds, meningitis and surgical infections. [4]
The bacteria is also highly resistant to other antibiotics like polymyxins.
A 2018 research-based study says that among many low-and-middle income countries, India is the highest consumer of antibiotics. The study reveals data research conducted between 2000-2015. [5]
According to the new study, at a rate of 107 units per person, India has the highest antibiotic use worldwide, a key factor in the spread of antibiotic-resistant microbes. [6]
The antimicrobial resistance crisis in India is exacerbated by a number of factors such as:
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The Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Research Network was set up by the Indian Council of Medical Research to assess the level of resistance among seven priority infections and kick off stewardship initiatives.
To remedy the dearth of clinical research on drug-resistant diseases in India, cooperation between government, academic, and commercial sector partners is essential.
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Researchers and healthcare providers should pool their resources and conduct high-quality studies on the identification, evaluation, and prevention of drug-resistant infections. This may help in determining the best way to treat life-threatening infections caused by bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.