Resistance Against Antibiotic Resistance Due to their widespread use as medical

interventions to combat infections caused by bacteria in both animals and

plants, the negative impacts of antibiotics have become increasingly pronounced
on a global scale. Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a prominent issue, as
they are the common solution to fighting off infections in many animals. In the
United States alone, approximately 2 million people become infected by
antibiotic-resistant bacteria each year and roughly 23,000 people die as a
result (CDC).
Pssst... we can write an original essay just for you
Any subject. Any type of essay.
We’ll even meet a 3-hour deadline.
GET YOUR PRICE
121 writers online
The absence of their effectiveness is the cause of the potential lethality of
the once easily treated bacterial diseases. In order to prevent the inflation of
these statistics, how can research, developing technologies, and new protocols
be used to ease the medical stress brought about by antibiotic resistance? One
of the leading causes of antibiotic resistance is overuse. Despite declining in
recent years, antibiotic prescribing rates in the United States are still high
compared to international standards (Antibiotic Resistance Project). For
example, in 2014, for every 1000 people, there are 835 antibiotic prescriptions
and about 30 percent of oral antibiotics in U.S. outpatient settings are

m
unnecessary (Antibiotic Resistance Project). Diseases, such as pneumonia,

er as
tuberculosis, and gonorrhea, are growing increasingly difficult to treat, and in

co
some cases, they are impossible due to the bacteria’s resistance to what at one

eH w
point was a solution (WHO). As a result, medical costs increase because of the
development of newer, more complicated, and more expensive drugs.

o.
Despite these developments, there is little to no guarantee for these new drugs
rs e
to be safe against antibiotic resistance. In fact, due to eventual overuse,
ou urc
misuse, and the high reproductive rates and a short generational gap of
bacteria, it is only a matter of time before mutations and natural selection
bring about resistance.
Without any specific solutions or strategies, new drug production is a seemingly
o

futile attempt to outpace resistant bacteria. In an interview with the World

aC s

Economic Forum, Nobel Prize winner and chemist based at the Laboratory of
v i y re

Molecular Biology at the University of Cambridge, Venki Ramakrishnan, called for

worldwide cooperation in the impending crisis and for antibiotics to be used
sparingly, as a last resort (Moskvitch). When asked for potential alternatives
to antibiotics, he stated that vaccines could “be of enormous benefit”. The main
drawback to this potential solution, however, is the difficulty of the
ed d

development process, as well as a large amount of time it could take, all with
ar stu

the potential for failure. The World Health Organization (WHO) shares a similar
view on the issue. They also call for the sparing use of antibiotics and for the
healthcare industry to invest in the research and development of new vaccines
and other tools to bring forward alternatives to antibiotics, making it easier
to limit their use (WHO). However, Ramakrishnan goes on further to say that
sh is

governments should be the ones involved in the development of new antibiotics

because of the private enterprise business model.
Th

Need help with writing?

You can order professional work according to specific instructions and 100%
plagiarism free.
LEARN MORE
Due to the high drug development costs and the limited market specific drug
targets, it is not in a company’s interest to develop a particularly effective
drug. He explains, “If you want to make a lot of money from a drug, it should be
something the patient has to take all of their life.” Due to the role of
government to work towards the benefit of their society, Ramakrishnan believes
that they are the ones who are best suited to oversee the production of any new
drugs. In the wake of the ever-growing dilemma that is brought about by
antibiotic resistance medical professionals have sought to discover ways to
effectively reverse the resistance. As a result of these efforts, there have
been some successful results in areas, such as hospitals, which can be
attributed to the implementation of antibiotic reduction policies. For example,
at a hospital in Glasgow, Scotland, an outbreak in a neurosurgical ICU of a

This study source was downloaded by 100000822654079 from CourseHero.com on 08-13-2021 06:47:08 GMT -05:00

https://www.coursehero.com/file/86783881/document-3txt/
 multidrug-resistant Klebsiella aerogenes was only controlled once the use of all
antibiotics was suspended (Barbosa). The general consensus in the successes of
decreasing antibiotic resistance in hospitals occurred after implementation of
policies that regulate and control antibiotic use (Barbosa). This also holds
true on a much larger scale. In 1998, Denmark began to restrict the use of
antibiotics for growth promotion in livestock and poultry.
With the implementation of these new policies, all antibiotics used on food
animals must be prescribed by a veterinarian who can not profit from the sale,
and farmers, pharmacies, and veterinarians must report their use (Antibiotic
Resistance Project). As a result of these restrictions, a diminution of
resistance to antibiotics such as avoparcin and macrolides occurred (Casewell).
Within a year after the ban took place, antibiotic resistance in Denmark’s
livestock dropped 26 percent (Antibiotic Resistance Project). The World Health
Organization has found that in general, the ban has reduced human health risk
without causing significant harm to animal health or to the income of farmers
(Chan). Currently, in fact, many consider Denmark to be “spearheading the fight
against antibiotic resistance” (Technologist). However, it should also be noted
that decreases in antibiotic resistance cannot be fully attributed to policies
alone. The results in smaller case studies, such as in hospital communities, are
not completely clear, as they do not account for other factors, such as
infection control measures, and the other effects that arise from decreasing the
use of antibiotics (Barbosa).

m
Generally, a decrease in the use of one antibiotic results in an increase in

er as
another, but the resistance levels of the other antibiotic are rarely reported

co
in the case studies (Barbosa). On the larger scale of Denmark, the Animal Health

eH w
Institute claimed that the ban was not a success, but caused increase death and
disease among animals, labeling the ban as counterproductive. They also claimed

o.
that while resistance to some antibiotics has decreased in animals, resistance
rs e
to other antibiotics has increased (Animal Health Organization). However, it is
ou urc
not fair to call the ban completely unsuccessful. Reportedly, the change in
antibiotic policy had a little negative impact on the country’s pork industry.
Since the ban, the cost of raising pigs has only gone up €1 per animal (Levy).
To counteract the use of antibiotics, farmers in Denmark are now allowing
o

piglets to remain with their mother for longer periods of time in order to build
aC s

up their immune systems due to the fact that using antibiotics is no longer a
v i y re

viable means of doing so (Levy). Despite the supposed claims against it,
however, the ban was recognized as a success in Europe and by 2006, the use of
growth promoters was banned by the European Union (Levy). In order to properly
combat the growing threat of antibiotic resistance, it is necessary to look at
the evidence provided by the Danish ban on the use of antibiotics as growth
ed d

promoters. As proven, antibiotic resistance rates decreased once they ceased

ar stu

being used haphazardly, and were only used when absolutely necessary (Antibiotic
Resistance Project). Denmark’s success was made possible through the efforts of
the agriculture industry, veterinarians, human health researchers, and the
government working together (Levy). In order for a similar system to work on a
global level, collaboration is needed on that large scale.
sh is

Governments need to take responsibility for the creation of any new antibiotics
and work conjointly with the governments of other nations to draft effective
Th

policies to ease the medical stress brought about by antibiotic resistance.

This study source was downloaded by 100000822654079 from CourseHero.com on 08-13-2021 06:47:08 GMT -05:00

https://www.coursehero.com/file/86783881/document-3txt/
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)