ICMR reveals commonly used antibiotics are becoming ineffective against typhoid, UTIs

New Delhi: Antibiotic resistance is becoming a significant threat across the world, with about 5 million deaths being reported every year. In a shocking report, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) revealed that some serious diseases such as urinary tract infections (UTIs), blood infections, pneumonia and typhoid are becoming resistant to commonly used antibiotics. The ICMR collected data throughout the year and the findings were added to their annual report of 2023 on antimicrobial resistance (AMR). And this is one such report that highlights worrisome data of an increase in antibiotic resistance across India.

The team of researchers and the surveillance network of ICMR’s AMR examined 99,492 samples from both private and public healthcare facilities between January 1 and December 31, 2023. During the study, the major focus was on the common antibiotics used for the treatment of different types of diseases including upper respiratory infections, fevers and bloodstream conditions.

Antibiotic resistance is on the rise

As per the report, antibiotic resistance is steadily increasing while there is a decrease in the efficacy of the key antibiotics used for treating them. The study further examined the samples from different types of blood infections like blood, urine and respiratory specimens after collecting them from 21 regional centres across the world.

Resistance is also increasing among common bacteria

Common bacteria like E.coli which is also very prevalent in both ICU and outpatient settings indicated a concerning trend. It showed poor responsiveness to antibiotics such as cefotaxime, ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin with an incidence rate dropping to 20 per cent. For instance, the effectiveness of piperacillin-tazobactam has reduced from 56.8 per cent in 2017 to 42.4 per cent in 2023. Some of the very commonly used antibiotics like amikacin and meropenem are becoming less effective in treating infections.

Misuse of antibiotics

According to the report, the misuse of antibiotics especially in agriculture is contributing to the rise in resistance. For this, stronger regulation on antibiotic use should be implemented that is effective for both human and animal health.