Typhoid, pneumonia, UTIs show resistance to certain antibiotics

Sub: Sci

Sec: Health

Context:

A recent report by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network (AMRSN) says that urinary tract infections (UTI), blood stream infections, pneumonia, and typhoid are among the diseases showing resistance to commonly used antibiotics.

About the Report:

This is the seventh detailed report from the ICMR-AMRSN and presents data from January 1 to December 31, 2023.
The report analysed trends and patterns of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in six key pathogenic groups in the country.
Gram-negative bacilli such as Escherichia coli (E. coli), Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae were found to be themost commonly isolatedpathogens from relevant clinical samples (blood, urine, respiratory tract samples).

Gram-negative bacteria:

Gram-positive bacteria have a cell wall composed of thick layers of peptidoglycan whereas gram-negative bacteria have thin layer of peptidoglycan.
In a Gram stain test, gram-negative bacteria stain pink while gram-positive cells retain the purple-colour.
Gram-negative bacteria have an additional outer membrane that contains lipopolysaccharides (LPS), which provides extra protection and can trigger strong immune responses.
The outer membrane acts as a barrier, making Gram-negative bacteria more resistant to antibiotics like penicillin.
Often require stronger or more specific antibioticsfor treatment.
Gram-negative bacteria are responsible for a wide range of infections including urinary tract infections (UTIs), pneumonia, septicemia (blood infections), and wound infections.
Examples of Gram-Negative Bacteria:
- Escherichia coli (E. coli)
- Klebsiella pneumoniae
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa
- Acinetobacter baumannii
- Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR):

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is theability of a microbe to resist the effects of medication previously used to treat them. It is also known as antibiotic resistance.
As a result, the medicines become ineffective and infections persist in the body.
The WHO defines antimicrobial resistance as a microorganism’s resistance to an antimicrobial drug that was once able to treat an infection by that microorganism.
The resistance to antimicrobials is a natural biological phenomenon. However, the misuse and overuse of antibiotics accelerates the development of AMR.
Microbial resistance to antibiotics has made it harder to treat infections such as pneumonia, tuberculosis (TB), blood poisoning (septicaemia) and several food-borne diseases.