Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

Dynamics and Consequences of Antimicrobial Resistance

Antimicrobial resistance-Antimicrobial resistance occurs when microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change in ways that render the medications used to cure the infections they cause ineffective. When the microorganisms become resistant to most antimicrobials they are often referred to as “superbugs”. This is a major concern because a resistant infection may kill, can spread to others, and imposes huge costs to individuals and society .Consequences of antimicrobial resistance-The disease consequences of resistance should be assessed according to the morbidity and mortality rate due to antibiotic resistant organisms. It can be assumed that resistant microorganisms lead to an increase in morbidity and mortality since resistance increases the risk of inappropriate therapy. There is an increased risk that patients who do not receive appropriate treatment will have a longer course of disease or a fatal outcome; moreover, as these patients remain infectious for a longer period, morbidity and transmission of the microorganism are increased. Such increased morbidity was documented in outbreaks of diseases such as shigellosis, typhoid fever, and pneumococcal infections.