AMR and Phage Therapy

Why in news?

Phage therapy has been emerged as a new counter measure for Antibody resistance.

What is antibiotic resistance?

• Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is the ability of a microbe to resist the effects of medication previously used to treat them.
• Resistance arises through one of three ways: natural resistance in certain types of bacteria, genetic mutation, or by one species acquiring resistance from another.
• Resistance can appear due to random mutations; or more commonly following gradual build-up over time, and because of misuse of antibiotics or antimicrobials.
• Resistant microbes are increasingly difficult to treat, requiring alternative medications or higher doses, both of which may be more expensive or more toxic.
• Microbes resistant to multiple antimicrobials are called multidrug resistant (MDR); or sometimes superbugs.
• Antimicrobial resistance is on the rise with millions of deaths every year.
• All classes of microbes develop resistance: fungi develop antifungal resistance, viruses develop antiviral resistance, protozoa develop antiprotozoal resistance, and bacteria develop antibiotic resistance.

What is the Global impact of AMR?

• Over the past decades, antimicrobial agents have been revolutionary in alleviating communicable diseases across the world.
• In the US, more than two million people fall sick every year due to antibiotic-resistant infections, resulting in at least 23,000 deaths.
• While antibiotic resistance is a global hazard to public health, India, the largest consumer of antibiotics in the world, is notoriously seen as the epicentre of this threat.

What is the position of AMR in India?

• There is widespread existence of superbugs throughout the country.
• The crude infectious disease mortality rate in India today is 416.75 per 100,000 persons, which is twice the rate prevailing in the US.
• Some important factors responsible for the rising antibiotic resistance in India are.
  • Indiscriminate use of antimicrobial drugs
  • Laxity of regulatory bodies in approval of antibiotics
  • Lack of public awareness about antibiotic resistance
  • Injudicious use in veterinary practices
  • Overburdened health infrastructure and inequity in healthcare.

What is the new therapy is about?

• Bacteriophage therapy or simply phage therapy holds promise as an alternative treatment option.
• Bacteriophages are viruses that infect and kill bacteria.
• The revitalisation of phage therapy has received increased global attention since the appearance of multidrug-resistant bacteria.
• The most striking advantage of bacteriophage therapy is the ability to tailor treatment accurately to kill the pathogenic bacteria provided the diagnostic procedures are highly accurate.

What is the way forward?

• Capacity building and sensitisation of all the stakeholders is an integral pre-requisite of this programme.
• The multidisciplinary team members comprise an infectious diseases physician, a clinical pharmacist, a microbiologist, an infection control team, a hospital epidemiologist, an information system specialist, quality improvement staff, laboratory staff and nurses is required in every public health department.
• Antibiotics should only be used when needed as prescribed by health professionals.
• The prescriber should closely adhere to the five rights of drug administration: The right patient; the right drug; the right dose; the right route and the right time.

Source: Business Line