Bacteria are present in almost all everyday environments, as proven by newsambientales.com. While some are harmless or even beneficial, others can pose a significant threat to health, especially when antibiotics become ineffective.
Each year, more people die from bacterial infections, even when treated with antibiotics. This is why the growing problem of bacterial resistance has caused many drugs to lose effectiveness, leaving patients with few or no treatment options.
In this regard, the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2019, stated that bacterial resistance to antibiotics was directly responsible for 1.27 million deaths globally and was linked to 4.95 million deaths.
What is the difference between antibiotic resistance and antimicrobial resistance?
As every year, from November 18th to 24th, the World Antimicrobial Awareness Week is celebrated to raise awareness about this critical issue.
According to experts, resistance to antibiotics focuses on bacteria that have developed immunity to these drugs, while antimicrobial resistance (AMR) includes resistance of various microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites to common treatments. In fact, the lack of therapeutic options can turn treatable diseases, like urinary infections, into deadly ones.
Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria is one of the most dangerous. Photo: Wikipedia.
The most dangerous bacteria, according to science
According to experts, these are the most dangerous bacteria in the world:
Klebsiella pneumoniae
This bacterium is commonly found in the human intestines; however, it can cause severe infections such as pneumonia, septicemia, and meningitis. In fact, in hospitals, this bacterium can become a “superbug,” resistant even to last-resort antibiotics like carbapenems.
Escherichia coli (E. coli)
While many strains are harmless, others can cause urinary infections, pneumonia, diarrhea, and sepsis. The presence of this bacterium in contaminated water and food remains a recurrent problem in daily life.
Acinetobacter baumannii
This pathogen is associated with hospital-acquired infections. It is particularly dangerous for immunocompromised patients, not to mention it shows increasing resistance to carbapenems.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
This bacterium causes tuberculosis, a potentially deadly lung disease. Multidrug-resistant strains complicate its treatment. In 2023, this disease caused 1.25 million deaths, once again being a leading cause of global mortality.
Escherichia coli bacteria spreads through food. Photo: Wikipedia.
Salmonella Typhi
Responsible for typhoid fever, this bacterium can affect mainly communities with poor sanitary conditions. Additionally, it is resistant to fluoroquinolones, a significant group of antibiotics.
Shigella
With four main variants (S. sonnei, S. flexneri, S. boydii, and S. dysenteriae), this bacterium can cause severe diarrhea and fever. Moreover, its spread can occur through food, contaminated water, and even sexual contact, and it is resistant to multiple drugs.
Enterococcus faecium
Part of the intestinal microbiota, this bacterium can cause severe infections in vulnerable individuals. It is resistant to vancomycin, also used against staphylococcal infections.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
This bacterium is often associated with hospital-acquired infections, affecting patients with weakened immune systems. It is multidrug-resistant and difficult to treat even with broad-spectrum antibiotics.
Acinetobacter baumannii bacteria. Photo: Wikipedia.
Due to the potential risks it poses, the growing bacterial resistance underscores the urgent need to develop new treatments and to use current antibiotics with greater caution to preserve their effectiveness.
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