Latest news with #superbugs
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Deadly superbugs thrive as access to antibiotics falters in India
It's a grim paradox, doctors say. On the one hand, antibiotics are being overused until they no longer work, driving resistance and fuelling the rise of deadly superbugs. On the other hand, people are dying because they can't access these life-saving drugs. A new study by the non-profit Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP) looked at access to antibiotics for nearly 1.5 million cases of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative (CRGN) infections across eight major low- and middle-income countries, including India, Brazil and South Africa. CRGN bacteria are superbugs resistant to last-line antibiotics - yet only 6.9% of patients received appropriate treatment in the countries studied. India bore the lion's share of CRGN infections and treatment efforts, procuring 80% of the full courses of studied antibiotics but managing to treat only 7.8% of its estimated cases, the study in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal reports. (A full drug course of antibiotics refers to the complete set of doses that a patient needs to take over a specific period to fully treat an infection.) Common in water, food, the environment and the human gut, Gram-negative bacteria cause infections such as urinary tract infections (UTIs), pneumonia and food poisoning. They can pose a serious threat to newborns and the elderly alike. Especially vulnerable are hospital patients with weakened immunity, often spreading rapidly in ICUs and proving difficult - and sometimes impossible - to treat. Treating carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections is doubly difficult because those bacteria are resistant to some of the most powerful antibiotics. "These infections are a daily reality across all age groups," says Dr Abdul Gaffar, infectious disease consultant at Apollo Hospital in India's Chennai city. "We often see patients for whom no antibiotic works - and they die." The irony is cruel. While the world tries to curb antibiotic overuse, a parallel tragedy plays out quietly in poorer nations: people dying from treatable infections because the right drugs are out of reach. "For years, the dominant narrative has been that antibiotics are being overused, but the stark reality is that many people with highly drug-resistant infections in low- and middle-income countries are not getting access to the antibiotics they need," says Dr Jennifer Cohn, GARDP's Global Access Director and senior author of the study. India's 'blockbuster' drugs to take on deadly superbugs India facing a pandemic of antibiotics-resistant superbugs The study examined eight intravenous drugs active against carbapenem-resistant bacteria - ranging from older antibiotics including Colistin to newer ones such as Ceftazidime-avibactam. Of the few available drugs, Tigecycline was the most widely used. Researchers blame the treatment gap on weak health systems and limited access to effective antibiotics. For example, only 103,647 full treatment courses were procured of Tigecycline across eight countries - far short of the 1.5 million patients who needed them, the study found. This highlighted a major shortfall in the global response to drug-resistant infections. What prevents patients with drug-resistant infections in India from getting the right antibiotics? Physicians point to multiple barriers - reaching the right health facility, getting accurate diagnostic tests, and accessing effective drugs. Cost remains a major hurdle, with many of these antibiotics priced far beyond the reach of poorer patients. "Those who can afford these antibiotics often overuse them; those who can't, don't get them at all," says Dr Gaffar. "We need a system that ensures access for the poor and prevents misuse by the well-to-do." To improve access, these drugs must be made more affordable. To prevent misuse, stronger regulation is key. "Ideally, every antibiotic prescription in hospitals should require a second sign-off - by an infection specialist or microbiologist," says Dr Gaffar. "Some hospitals do this, but most don't. With the right oversight, regulators can ensure this becomes standard practice." To fix the access problem and curb misuse, both smarter policies and stronger safeguards are essential, say researchers. But access alone won't solve the crisis - the pipeline of new antibiotics is drying up. The decline in antibiotic R&D - and the limited availability of existing drugs - is a global issue. India bears one of the world's heaviest burdens of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), but it may also hold the key to combating it - both at home and globally, researchers say. "India is also one of the largest markets for new antibiotics and can successfully advocate for the development and access of new antibiotics," says Dr Cohn. With a strong pharmaceutical base, the country is emerging as a hub for AMR innovation, from promising new antibiotics to advanced diagnostics. Dr Cohn says India can strengthen its antibiotic response by generating local data to better estimate needs and pinpoint gaps in the care pathway. This would allow for more targeted interventions to improve access to the right drugs. Innovative models are already emerging - Kerala state, for instance, is using a "hub-and-spoke approach" to support lower-level facilities in managing serious infections. Coordinated or pooled procurement across hospitals or states could also reduce the cost of newer antibiotics, as seen with cancer drug programs, researchers say. Without access to the right antibiotics, modern medicine begins to unravel - doctors risk losing the ability to safely perform surgery, treat complications in cancer patients, or manage everyday infections. "As an infectious disease doctor, I see appropriate use as one part - but only one part - of access," says Dr Gaffar. "When we get new antibiotics, it's important to save them on one hand - and save them for right patients." Clearly, the challenge is not just to use antibiotics wisely, but to ensure they reach those who need them most.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Deadly superbugs thrive as access to antibiotics falters in India
It's a grim paradox, doctors say. On the one hand, antibiotics are being overused until they no longer work, driving resistance and fuelling the rise of deadly superbugs. On the other hand, people are dying because they can't access these life-saving drugs. A new study by the non-profit Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP) looked at access to antibiotics for nearly 1.5 million cases of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative (CRGN) infections across eight major low- and middle-income countries, including India, Brazil and South Africa. CRGN bacteria are superbugs resistant to last-line antibiotics - yet only 6.9% of patients received appropriate treatment in the countries studied. India bore the lion's share of CRGN infections and treatment efforts, procuring 80% of the full courses of studied antibiotics but managing to treat only 7.8% of its estimated cases, the study in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal reports. (A full drug course of antibiotics refers to the complete set of doses that a patient needs to take over a specific period to fully treat an infection.) Common in water, food, the environment and the human gut, Gram-negative bacteria cause infections such as urinary tract infections (UTIs), pneumonia and food poisoning. They can pose a serious threat to newborns and the elderly alike. Especially vulnerable are hospital patients with weakened immunity, often spreading rapidly in ICUs and proving difficult - and sometimes impossible - to treat. Treating carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections is doubly difficult because those bacteria are resistant to some of the most powerful antibiotics. "These infections are a daily reality across all age groups," says Dr Abdul Gaffar, infectious disease consultant at Apollo Hospital in India's Chennai city. "We often see patients for whom no antibiotic works - and they die." The irony is cruel. While the world tries to curb antibiotic overuse, a parallel tragedy plays out quietly in poorer nations: people dying from treatable infections because the right drugs are out of reach. "For years, the dominant narrative has been that antibiotics are being overused, but the stark reality is that many people with highly drug-resistant infections in low- and middle-income countries are not getting access to the antibiotics they need," says Dr Jennifer Cohn, GARDP's Global Access Director and senior author of the study. India's 'blockbuster' drugs to take on deadly superbugs India facing a pandemic of antibiotics-resistant superbugs The study examined eight intravenous drugs active against carbapenem-resistant bacteria - ranging from older antibiotics including Colistin to newer ones such as Ceftazidime-avibactam. Of the few available drugs, Tigecycline was the most widely used. Researchers blame the treatment gap on weak health systems and limited access to effective antibiotics. For example, only 103,647 full treatment courses were procured of Tigecycline across eight countries - far short of the 1.5 million patients who needed them, the study found. This highlighted a major shortfall in the global response to drug-resistant infections. What prevents patients with drug-resistant infections in India from getting the right antibiotics? Physicians point to multiple barriers - reaching the right health facility, getting accurate diagnostic tests, and accessing effective drugs. Cost remains a major hurdle, with many of these antibiotics priced far beyond the reach of poorer patients. "Those who can afford these antibiotics often overuse them; those who can't, don't get them at all," says Dr Gaffar. "We need a system that ensures access for the poor and prevents misuse by the well-to-do." To improve access, these drugs must be made more affordable. To prevent misuse, stronger regulation is key. "Ideally, every antibiotic prescription in hospitals should require a second sign-off - by an infection specialist or microbiologist," says Dr Gaffar. "Some hospitals do this, but most don't. With the right oversight, regulators can ensure this becomes standard practice." To fix the access problem and curb misuse, both smarter policies and stronger safeguards are essential, say researchers. But access alone won't solve the crisis - the pipeline of new antibiotics is drying up. The decline in antibiotic R&D - and the limited availability of existing drugs - is a global issue. India bears one of the world's heaviest burdens of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), but it may also hold the key to combating it - both at home and globally, researchers say. "India is also one of the largest markets for new antibiotics and can successfully advocate for the development and access of new antibiotics," says Dr Cohn. With a strong pharmaceutical base, the country is emerging as a hub for AMR innovation, from promising new antibiotics to advanced diagnostics. Dr Cohn says India can strengthen its antibiotic response by generating local data to better estimate needs and pinpoint gaps in the care pathway. This would allow for more targeted interventions to improve access to the right drugs. Innovative models are already emerging - Kerala state, for instance, is using a "hub-and-spoke approach" to support lower-level facilities in managing serious infections. Coordinated or pooled procurement across hospitals or states could also reduce the cost of newer antibiotics, as seen with cancer drug programs, researchers say. Without access to the right antibiotics, modern medicine begins to unravel - doctors risk losing the ability to safely perform surgery, treat complications in cancer patients, or manage everyday infections. "As an infectious disease doctor, I see appropriate use as one part - but only one part - of access," says Dr Gaffar. "When we get new antibiotics, it's important to save them on one hand - and save them for right patients." Clearly, the challenge is not just to use antibiotics wisely, but to ensure they reach those who need them most.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Superbugs thrive as access to antibiotics fails in India
It's a grim paradox, doctors the one hand, antibiotics are being overused until they no longer work, driving resistance and fuelling the rise of deadly superbugs. On the other hand, people are dying because they can't access these life-saving drugs.A new study by the non-profit Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP) looked at access to antibiotics for nearly 1.5 million cases of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative (CRGN) infections across eight major low- and middle-income countries, including India, Brazil and South Africa. CRGN bacteria are superbugs resistant to last-line antibiotics - yet only 6.9% of patients received appropriate treatment in the countries bore the lion's share of CRGN infections and treatment efforts, procuring 80% of the full courses of studied antibiotics but managing to treat only 7.8% of its estimated cases, the study in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal reports. (A full drug course of antibiotics refers to the complete set of doses that a patient needs to take over a specific period to fully treat an infection.) Common in water, food, the environment and the human gut, Gram-negative bacteria cause infections such as urinary tract infections (UTIs), pneumonia and food poisoning. They can pose a serious threat to newborns and the elderly alike. Especially vulnerable are hospital patients with weakened immunity, often spreading rapidly in ICUs and proving difficult - and sometimes impossible - to treat. Treating carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections is doubly difficult because those bacteria are resistant to some of the most powerful antibiotics."These infections are a daily reality across all age groups," says Dr Abdul Gaffar, infectious disease consultant at Apollo Hospital in India's Chennai city. "We often see patients for whom no antibiotic works - and they die."The irony is cruel. While the world tries to curb antibiotic overuse, a parallel tragedy plays out quietly in poorer nations: people dying from treatable infections because the right drugs are out of reach. "For years, the dominant narrative has been that antibiotics are being overused, but the stark reality is that many people with highly drug-resistant infections in low- and middle-income countries are not getting access to the antibiotics they need," says Dr Jennifer Cohn, GARDP's Global Access Director and senior author of the 'blockbuster' drugs to take on deadly superbugsIndia facing a pandemic of antibiotics-resistant superbugsThe study examined eight intravenous drugs active against carbapenem-resistant bacteria - ranging from older antibiotics including Colistin to newer ones such as Ceftazidime-avibactam. Of the few available drugs, Tigecycline was the most widely used. Researchers blame the treatment gap on weak health systems and limited access to effective antibiotics. For example, only 103,647 full treatment courses were procured of Tigecycline across eight countries - far short of the 1.5 million patients who needed them, the study found. This highlighted a major shortfall in the global response to drug-resistant infections. What prevents patients with drug-resistant infections in India from getting the right antibiotics? Physicians point to multiple barriers - reaching the right health facility, getting accurate diagnostic tests, and accessing effective drugs. Cost remains a major hurdle, with many of these antibiotics priced far beyond the reach of poorer patients. "Those who can afford these antibiotics often overuse them; those who can't, don't get them at all," says Dr Gaffar. "We need a system that ensures access for the poor and prevents misuse by the well-to-do."To improve access, these drugs must be made more affordable. To prevent misuse, stronger regulation is key. "Ideally, every antibiotic prescription in hospitals should require a second sign-off - by an infection specialist or microbiologist," says Dr Gaffar. "Some hospitals do this, but most don't. With the right oversight, regulators can ensure this becomes standard practice."To fix the access problem and curb misuse, both smarter policies and stronger safeguards are essential, say researchers. But access alone won't solve the crisis - the pipeline of new antibiotics is drying up. The decline in antibiotic R&D - and the limited availability of existing drugs - is a global bears one of the world's heaviest burdens of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), but it may also hold the key to combating it - both at home and globally, researchers say."India is also one of the largest markets for new antibiotics and can successfully advocate for the development and access of new antibiotics," says Dr Cohn. With a strong pharmaceutical base, the country is emerging as a hub for AMR innovation, from promising new antibiotics to advanced Cohn says India can strengthen its antibiotic response by generating local data to better estimate needs and pinpoint gaps in the care pathway. This would allow for more targeted interventions to improve access to the right drugs. Innovative models are already emerging - Kerala state, for instance, is using a "hub-and-spoke approach" to support lower-level facilities in managing serious infections. Coordinated or pooled procurement across hospitals or states could also reduce the cost of newer antibiotics, as seen with cancer drug programs, researchers access to the right antibiotics, modern medicine begins to unravel - doctors risk losing the ability to safely perform surgery, treat complications in cancer patients, or manage everyday infections. "As an infectious disease doctor, I see appropriate use as one part - but only one part - of access," says Dr Gaffar. "When we get new antibiotics, it's important to save them on one hand - and save them for right patients." Clearly, the challenge is not just to use antibiotics wisely, but to ensure they reach those who need them most.
Wall Street Journal
24-05-2025
- Science
- Wall Street Journal
A Search for New Antibiotics in Ancient DNA
Buried in the DNA of the long extinct woolly mammoth is a compound that scientists hope will one day yield a lifesaving antibiotic. In experiments, mammuthusin, as the compound is called, has eradicated superbugs—bacteria that are resistant to today's antibiotics and cause infections that are hard to treat—says César de la Fuente, the bioengineer who helped discover the molecule.
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Warning as deadly superbug reaches the UK thanks to cosmetic surgery patients getting cheap ops abroad
British patients who have cheap surgery abroad are bringing dangerous superbugs back to the UK, nurses have warned. Some NHS hospitals have seen a 30 per cent spike in cases of antibiotic-resistant bacteria–which can be fatal if it enters the blood stream–triggered by patients returning from operations overseas. NHS nurses said they had seen a surge in cases of 'horrific wounds', infection, sepsis and patients dying over the past two years from complications after having overseas surgery-and suggested foreign clinics should pay the NHS compensation when things go wrong. Growing numbers of British patients who face lengthy NHS waiting lists and high costs for private surgery in the UK are travelling abroad for cheap surgery, most often to Turkey and Eastern European nations. Around 5,000 patients had weight-loss procedures abroad in 2024-more than the 4,500 people who had the procedure on the NHS in 2021-22, according to a BMJ report. Waiting times for weight-loss surgery on the NHS can be up to four years. Some UK patients are enticed abroad by social media marketing which promotes major surgery-like gastric bypass operations or cosmetic procedures - as part of 'luxury package holidays', the Royal College of Nursing annual conference heard this week. But infection control measures in countries outside the EU can be significantly less rigorous than those in the UK. Here, strict rules ensure operating theatres have regular inspections, are well-ventilated and surgeons use new or sterilised equipment for each patient. Nykoma Hamilton, an infection control nurse from Fife, in Scotland, said patients returning from treatment abroad were increasingly infected with bacteria resistant to the strongest antibiotics used to treat the most severe infections - a group of drugs called carbapenems. She told the conference: 'Our concerns relate to the fact that a lot of people are colonised with a lot of extensively drug-resistant organisms.' NHS hospitals and clinics in her area had recorded a 'near 30 per cent' increase in detection of carbapenem-resistant bacteria, she said, describing the superbug as the 'absolute granddaddy of resistance'. District nurse Nicola Smith, from Slough, said she had been 'really shocked' by some of the 'horrendous wounds' and infections she had seen in people who had come back from surgery abroad. WHAT IS ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE? Antibiotics have been doled out unnecessarily by GPs and hospital staff for decades, fueling once harmless bacteria to become superbugs. The World Health Organization (WHO) has previously warned if nothing is done the world is heading for a 'post-antibiotic' era. It claimed common infections, such as chlamydia, will become killers without immediate solutions to the growing crisis. Bacteria can become drug resistant when people take incorrect doses of antibiotics or if they are given out unnecessarily. Former chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies claimed in 2016 that the threat of antibiotic resistance is as severe as terrorism. Figures estimate that superbugs will kill 10 million people each year by 2050, with patients succumbing to once harmless bugs. Around 700,000 people already die yearly due to drug-resistant infections including tuberculosis (TB), HIV and malaria across the world. Concerns have repeatedly been raised that medicine will be taken back to the 'dark ages' if antibiotics are rendered ineffective in the coming years. In addition to existing drugs becoming less effective, there have only been one or two new antibiotics developed in the last 30 years. In 2019, the WHO warned antibiotics are 'running out' as a report found a 'serious lack' of new drugs in the development pipeline. Without antibiotics, C-sections, cancer treatments and hip replacements will become incredibly 'risky', it was said at the time. In one case, she treated a young woman who surgery abroad for skin removal after weight loss. Two week's later, patient's large thigh wound was only loosely held together with stitches, the tissue was dying and she had developed sepsis. 'It's really sad as this procedure was sold to her like a holiday package - all she told me about was how fantastic the hotel was after she'd had her surgery and that they took her back to a posh car,' she said. 'A hotel is lovely but it's no place to be when you're in pain, when there's an infection, when you've got serious complications. 'There was no blood pressure testing, no aftercare for this woman at all. In fact, I'm surprised she made it back on the flight. It's really scary.' The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) has issued a warning about the infection risk of surgery abroad, saying: 'Some people are returning with multi-resistant bacteria that are hard to treat and may infect other people'. The number of antibiotic-resistant infections across the UK has grown by 7 per cent before the pandemic, up from around 62,000 in 2019 to nearly 67,000 in 2023, figures from the UK Health Security Agency show. Nurses told the RCN debate patients should be free to choose where to have treatment but needed better information about how to check clinics were safe and what aftercare would be provided. And they suggested the NHS should not have to shoulder the burden for mistakes made abroad. Ms Hamilton said foreign clinics should have to cover patients with an insurance policy, so that the NHS could claim compensation if it had to treat complications later. An investigation published by the BBC last year found NHS hospitals were spending more treating complications from people having cheap surgery abroad than they were on providing the treatment to NHS patients. Complications included infections, sepsis, excessive bleeding and severe malnutrition. Speaking after the debate, RCN head of nursing Carli Whittaker said: 'The trend of patients travelling to other countries for treatment can pose difficulties, including adequate aftercare once home and the risk of infection post-operation. 'Very high waiting lists are a prominent factor, with some deciding to pursue treatment overseas rather than be forced to wait months, sometimes years, in the UK. Nursing staff will always provide the best care for those suffering from the complications of surgery abroad, but the issue must be tackled at its root.' Wes Streeting, the health secretary, has urged people to 'think very carefully' before going overseas for surgery — warning that the NHS is left to 'pick up the pieces'.
