Antibacterial and Antimicrobial resistance: Understanding the Threat and Consequences
For our next blog post, we’d like to share some thoughts from our Research Scientist, Rohith Satheesh, around the topic of antimicrobial resistance!
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antibiotic resistance is the ability of bacteria to withstand such medications that are targeted at killing them. When bacteria develop a resistance mechanism against the antibiotic, that antibiotic becomes inefficient.
There are several ways this may happen, such as through bacteria creating efflux pumps to expel antibiotics, or by changing their cell walls to impede antibiotic entrance, or even by manufacturing enzymes that deactivate the antibiotic medication. Common examples include Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and multidrug-resistant TB.
The term antimicrobial resistance is, however, broad-spectrum resistance. It involves bacteria and all other forms of microbes that can become resistant. There are viruses that can become resistant to antivirals, fungi that become resistant to antifungals, and parasites that become resistant to antiparasitic medications. For example, HIV may acquire resistance to antiretroviral treatments, Candida auris can develop resistance to several antifungal therapies, and malaria parasites can adapt to resist antimalarial drugs.
Both modes of resistance have significant impacts, but they act on different scales. Resistance to antibiotics affects mainly the treatments of bacterial infections and thus threatens surgery and chemotherapy, which depend on effective antibiotics. Antimicrobial resistance has a broader impact, threatening our ability to treat a wide range of infectious diseases and even weakening some of the pillars of modern medicine.
Several of these challenges require overlapping strategies to overcome. The goals of controlling antibiotic resistance include improving prescription practices, developing new medicines, and reducing the use of antibiotics in agriculture. Antimicrobial resistance requires a more integrated approach in response, including the development of new classes of antimicrobial drugs, better diagnostic tools for all types of illnesses, and wider infection prevention strategies.
The future of both conflicts depends on innovation and responsibility. Recent technologies such as CRISPR gene editing, AI-powered drug development, and innovative treatment techniques are promising. Success depends on international collaboration, enhanced surveillance systems, and altered human and institutional attitudes.
Understanding the differences between antibiotic and antimicrobial resistance is critical for establishing targeted treatments while acknowledging their interconnectedness. A coordinated strategy is essential in the fight against drug resistance, requiring collaboration among healthcare professionals, researchers, policymakers, and public education initiatives.
To learn more about the antimicrobial testing offered at Melbec, call or email us today at clientservices@melbecmicrobiology.co.uk.
