Superbug Crisis on the Rise; Bacteriophage Could Be Alternatives to Traditional Antibiotics

The superbug crisis is one of the greatest medical threats, and it's on the rise. Fortunately, there's already a potential solution to antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

What Is Superbug?

The germs we use to fight antibiotics have evolved to grow resistant to them after decades of use. Globally, this is a big problem that is only becoming worse as more and more bacterial illnesses become immune to our system of defenses.

Viruses may be able to help in the problem-solving process.

According to the World Health Organization, the bacteria that cause illnesses, including pneumonia, TB, blood poisoning, and gonorrhea, quickly resist the antibiotics we once used to treat them. In the United States, almost all Staphylococcus aureus strains are resistant to penicillin, and many have developed methicillin resistance, leading to infections called MRSA (or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), Newsweek reported.

Superbugs are bacteria that have developed the capacity to resist or change their sensitivity to the antibiotics and other medications we use to treat infections. According to Jeremy Barr, a senior lecturer in environmental microbiology at Australia's Monash University, we refer to this phenomenon as antimicrobial resistance (AMR) for short.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria have been discovered in hundreds of millions of years old samples, proving that AMR is a natural phenomenon. Regarding superbugs, our society's excessive use of and reliance on antibiotics has developed or otherwise selected bacteria resistant to these medications. In simpler terms, the more antibiotic usage, the faster we select superbugs.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 2.8 million antimicrobial-resistant infections take place annually in the United States, leading to 35,000 fatalities. By 2050, antibiotic resistance is anticipated to result in 10 million annual fatalities across the globe.

According to Barr, numerous cases of certain superbugs are currently immune to all of our clinically applicable medications. Since none of the other medications can treat these infections, they are forced to employ outdated antibiotics as last resort-or other medications that raise safety issues.

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Bacteriophages Against Superbugs

Yes, the number of bacterial infections that are antibiotic resistant is increasing. However, researchers found viruses that can knock out bacteria called bacteriophages.

According to NCBI, bacteriophages, or phages as commonly known, are viruses that only infect and replicate in bacterial cells. They are regarded as the most prevalent biological agent on earth and are widely distributed throughout the environment. Their size, appearance, and genetic organization are incredibly diverse.

They are natural predators of bacteria and can be used to fight infections. Additionally, they are abundant in our bodies.

They offer substitutes that can be employed independently of or in conjunction with conventional antibiotics, according to Andrew Millard, an associate professor of genetics and genome biology at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom, who spoke with Newsweek. They have benefits and drawbacks. Phages frequently target a single type of bacteria. Thus, unlike antibiotics, they don't completely eradicate the native gut flora. They concentrate only on pathogenic germs.

Barr echoed Millard's sentiment. He says phages are very specific and won't work like antibiotics that kill various bacteria. Bacteriophages can only kill a particular bacteria. Thus, to treat a patient's infection, they must find a phage that kills that specific bacterial infection.

Barr added that the good thing with phages is that they are unlimited. So, it's unlikely we will ever run out of them like antibiotics. Since they work on addressing a specific infection and are natural, they don't come with side effects, like gut microbiome from antibiotics.