Having an 8 year old, I can honestly say that when I think
of a super villain I think of Rhino, The Goblin, Mystique, Magneto, Cat Woman, The Joker, Loki – you know the villains that
super heroes like Spiderman, Batman, the Avengers or The X-Men fight against. If you’re a bug fighter, you might think
differently, especially after the WHO released their list of the 12 most
dangerous superbugs.
of a super villain I think of Rhino, The Goblin, Mystique, Magneto, Cat Woman, The Joker, Loki – you know the villains that
super heroes like Spiderman, Batman, the Avengers or The X-Men fight against. If you’re a bug fighter, you might think
differently, especially after the WHO released their list of the 12 most
dangerous superbugs.
Similar to the list of Top
Emerging Pathogens that were released by WHO prior to Christmas, the WHO
has released a list
of superbugs we need to be on the lookout for. The 12 bacteria listed were chosen based on
their level of drug resistance, the number of deaths they cause, the frequency
they infect people outside of healthcare facilities and the burden they place on
healthcare facilities. The top 3 offenders,
while not as common as other antibiotic resistant organisms (AROs), are
incredibly costly to manage and have very high mortality rates. The top 3
offenders include Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter
baumannii, Carbapenem-resistant
Pseudomonas aeruginosa and
Carbapenem-resistant and ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae. These bacteria are most commonly associated
with medical devices such as ventilators, catheters and endoscopes.
Emerging Pathogens that were released by WHO prior to Christmas, the WHO
has released a list
of superbugs we need to be on the lookout for. The 12 bacteria listed were chosen based on
their level of drug resistance, the number of deaths they cause, the frequency
they infect people outside of healthcare facilities and the burden they place on
healthcare facilities. The top 3 offenders,
while not as common as other antibiotic resistant organisms (AROs), are
incredibly costly to manage and have very high mortality rates. The top 3
offenders include Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter
baumannii, Carbapenem-resistant
Pseudomonas aeruginosa and
Carbapenem-resistant and ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae. These bacteria are most commonly associated
with medical devices such as ventilators, catheters and endoscopes.
In the “we need new antibiotics to treat” group the WHO
identified Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus
faecium (VRE), Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus
aureus (MRSA), Vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus
aureus, Vancomycin-resistance Staphylococcus
aureus, Clarithromycin-resistant Helicobacter
pylori, Fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter
spp., Fluoroquinolone-resistant Salmonellae,
Cephalosporin-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae and
Fluoroquinolone-resistant Neisseria
gonorrhoeae. This group of
bacteria are ones that cause infections in healthy people. According to the CDC, Gonorrhoeae is the 2nd
most commonly reported infectious disease with approx. 820,000 new infections
reported each year and the majority of those are between 15 and 29 years old
with 20 – 24 year olds being the age group with the highest numbers.
identified Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus
faecium (VRE), Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus
aureus (MRSA), Vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus
aureus, Vancomycin-resistance Staphylococcus
aureus, Clarithromycin-resistant Helicobacter
pylori, Fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter
spp., Fluoroquinolone-resistant Salmonellae,
Cephalosporin-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae and
Fluoroquinolone-resistant Neisseria
gonorrhoeae. This group of
bacteria are ones that cause infections in healthy people. According to the CDC, Gonorrhoeae is the 2nd
most commonly reported infectious disease with approx. 820,000 new infections
reported each year and the majority of those are between 15 and 29 years old
with 20 – 24 year olds being the age group with the highest numbers.
The last group include Penicillin-non-susceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae, ampicillin-resistant
Haemophilus influenzae and
Fluoroquinolone-resistant Shigella spp. The concern here is that this group is
becoming increasingly resistant to available drugs. If we do not start to
become more vigilant, the group will creep up higher on the list of priority,
particularly if new treatments are not developed.
Haemophilus influenzae and
Fluoroquinolone-resistant Shigella spp. The concern here is that this group is
becoming increasingly resistant to available drugs. If we do not start to
become more vigilant, the group will creep up higher on the list of priority,
particularly if new treatments are not developed.
While our treatment options are limited and certainly
concerning if drug companies do not start working on the development of new
options, the upside is that science continues to show that antibiotic
resistant pathogens are not more resistant to disinfectants than antibiotic
sensitive pathogens. While we may
not have treatment options, ensuring that we have a strong infection prevention
program that includes a focus on hand hygiene, effective cleaning, and
disinfection of environmental surfaces and medical devices, we can minimize the
transmission. The concern of course
still exists from a perspective of transmission outside of healthcare
facilities, where cleaning and disinfection and/or hand hygiene practices are
not as strict.
concerning if drug companies do not start working on the development of new
options, the upside is that science continues to show that antibiotic
resistant pathogens are not more resistant to disinfectants than antibiotic
sensitive pathogens. While we may
not have treatment options, ensuring that we have a strong infection prevention
program that includes a focus on hand hygiene, effective cleaning, and
disinfection of environmental surfaces and medical devices, we can minimize the
transmission. The concern of course
still exists from a perspective of transmission outside of healthcare
facilities, where cleaning and disinfection and/or hand hygiene practices are
not as strict.
Bugging Off!
Nicole
