Celebrating Antimicrobial Resistance Week
The antimicrobial resistance (acronymed as AMR) week is an annual awareness event celebrated globally from November 18-24 to cover and highlight different aspects of antimicrobial drug discovery, their usage, the threat associated with the development of resistance in microbes, promotion of best practices and the need of identifying reliable alternatives in both human and animal health. Considering the global evidences, the AMR is not a localized phenomenon, or a regional problem, neither is it restricted largely to any area or research institute or agricultural farm, but it is a problem of major international concern and significance. Therefore, it is not wrong to label AMR as a pandemic proportionally as valid as any infectious disease pandemic, considering its global implications in public and animal health sector. Therefore, rather than searching and researching for next generation antimicrobial compounds against drug resistant microbes, it is the time to rely on bio-inspiration and search for alternative antimicrobials taking cues from the nature itself.
The first antibiotic discovery is set to hit a century landmark by 2028, as it was in year 1928, when Alexander Fleming accidently discovered the first antibiotic- Penicillin, although he himself was not able to purify it from the Pencilium mould, but paved the way towards knowing the world of antimicrobials with amazing therapeutic potential. The discovery of a hierarchy of antibiotics thereafter with their marvellous life curing properties is a wonder phase in the history of human life in terms of their revolutionary role by increasing the life expectancy rates, reducing the infant mortality rate, lowering the parturition death rate, decreasing the incidence of diversity of infectious diseases, stabilising the worst pandemic episodes, simplifying the various operative procedures, maintaining the overall quality of public health and increasing the livestock and agricultural productivity. However, at the same time millions die alone due to the emerging infections of AMR nature. Thus, it is hard to strike a balance between the pros and cons of antimicrobials even during the first centenary of antibiotic discovery and use.
Right from the beginning of antibiotic therapy, the AMR developed, enabling the evolution of resistant superbugs or rogue bacteria that can fight off any broad-spectrum antibiotic, thereby promoting human and animal mortality rates. AMR alone results in the death of at least 700,000 people each year at global level, indicating its urgent nature comparable to not less than a new human health crisis. Quite disheartening is to know that, if no action is taken, AMR based infections and diseases in human can alone be responsible for 10 million deaths each year by the end of next three decades i.e. by 2050, the biggest disease in-itself will be the AMR.
Why this situation is knocking our doors. Reasons are several. The main factors for the development of AMR and emergence of superbugs are uncontrolled prescription, self-medication without any knowledge of the infection along with untimely, frequent and indiscriminate drug usage, over and under dosage and improper administration of the particular drug or its ingredient. Thus onus lies in the medical fraternity, within the common man and in the policy makers. Human beings are so gravely addicted to the antibiotic consumption that almost every household keep a reserve of the common antibiotics due to their easy market availability just like daily consumables. It is very easy to procure the drug of choice from any medical or pharmaceutical outlet. Furthermore, using antibiotics indiscriminately to treat viral diseases e.g. common cold has resulted in the evolution of viral super-infections, which are subsequently resistant to routine drugs. Therefore, taking antimicrobials unnecessarily and frequently puts us at a greater risk of these superbugs. Thus, advocating the concept of antibiotic apocalypse is no more a remote concept, as the world is now heading towards post antibiotic era full of new challenges and health issues.
Further, the microbial drug or its by-product-based enrichment of our environment after their use in human and livestock sector is threatening our life from a different perspective. For example, the use of antimicrobial compounds in agriculture and horticulture gets leached into the environment and unnecessarily either kill the non-target life forms or disturb their biochemical and metabolic pathways and the overall ecological functioning. At the same time the accumulation of solid and liquid waste of antimicrobial compounds released from the pharmaceutical companies and manufacturing industries or discharge of packing material of antimicrobial compounds from hospitals, waste accumulation of expired or unused drug products is another serious issue.
The additional problem is discharge of metabolised and partially metabolised antimicrobial products via human and animal excretory products into the environment and induces toxicity in soil and water risking the life therein besides the already devastating effects against the useful microbial flora of our body. In this perspective every person has a role to perform within his/her self, within houses, within workplaces, within markets, within societies, within agricultural fields, within industries and factories to contribute in minimising the antibiotic consumption and discharge of expired or excessive or unused or waste antibiotics and their packing’s into immediate surroundings. From a scientific perspective, several promising eco-friendly alternatives to conventional antibiotics have either emerged or are in testing phase including the phytogenic compounds, antimicrobial peptides, immunotherapy based options, and probiotics, etc.
The writer is Associate professor of Zoology, Islamia College of Science & Commerce (UGC autonomous), Srinagar
