A global approach is required to address the unfolding burden of antibiotic resistance, say the authors of a new report which also revealed that the environment, including water treatment facilities are responsible for the spread of antibiotic resistance which hinders the treatment of specific diseases in which antibiotics are given to patients.
In a report compiled by 26 leading experts across the globe, it was revealed that the treatment of waste water was one of the major factors contributing to the breeding of the strong bacteria that has the capacity to weaken the immune system of a human.
"The waste water which is treated and released in rivers leads to the breeding of bacteria in the water which ultimately reaches humans and makes their body resistant to antibiotics (medicines) and in turn the treatment," said the report.
Experts who compiled the report — includes Chairperson of the Department of Microbiology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Dr Chand Wattal, and Dr Ramanan laxmi-narayan of Public Health Foundation of India who also suggested that bold steps were needed to contain this resistance.
"One of our key recommendations is for increased research on how to reduce and neutralise man-made antibiotic pressure and how to control the resistance pool in hotspot environments," said Dr Wattal.
According to the report, antibiotic resistance arises when bacteria evolve mechanisms to withstand the drugs which are used to fight infection.
The authors call for a bolder intervention outside hospitals and toward an ecological antibiotic stewardship — recommending the development of strategies focused on the control of non-human sources of antibiotics, resistant bacteria, and resistant genes, such as in agriculture and waste water from the pharmaceutical industry.