Antibiotic resistance is one of the most serious threats to global health. A recent study highlights the factors influencing this resistance and the different trends observed.
- There is not one resistance to antibiotics but several, very dependent on bacterial species.
- In 2019, 1.27 million deaths worldwide resulted from antibiotic resistance and 4.95 million were associated with it.
- Strategies to address antibiotic resistance globally need to be tailored taking into account the species, resistance and epidemiological contexts at stake.
Antibiotic resistance is a natural phenomenon, but the misuse of antibiotics contributes to it by selecting resistance and complicating the fight against bacterial infections.
Scientists from the Institut Pasteur, INSERM and the universities of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines and Paris-Saclay estimated that in 2019, 1.27 million deaths worldwide resulted from antibiotic resistance and 4.95 million were associated with it. These figures highlight the urgent need to act in order to preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics.
Factors influencing resistance
A total of 11 factors were retained, including the quality of the healthcare system, the consumption of antibiotics and the wealth of the country, as well as data on travel and climatic variables. Interestingly, the good quality of a country’s healthcare system is associated with low levels of antibiotic resistance in all gram-negative bacteria tested. This highlights the importance of investing in strong and accessible health systems to combat this growing scourge.
In addition, high temperatures are associated with high levels of antibiotic resistance, but only in Enterobacteriaceae. These factors are essential to take into account in the development of control strategies.
Trends to consider
Analysis of data at the global level over the period 2006-2019 has highlighted an increase in resistance to carbapenems in several bacterial species, while trends remain stable for other resistances. This observation is concerning because carbapenems are considered antibiotics of last resort, used when other treatments fail. The rise in resistance to these drugs therefore limits the therapeutic options available. These results show that antibiotic resistance is a multiple threat that requires continuous monitoring and action.
