There is an invisible enemy among us. It has been called the greatest public health challenge of our time, yet the knowledge of this topic remains limited and is not widespread. For all of human history, we’ve managed to live in harmony with microbes, but now they pose a great threat to our existence. If not for a timely change in our behavior, antimicrobial resistance may be the cause of our undoing.
Jump to
- What is a microbe
- Why we use antimicrobials
- What is antimicrobial/antibacterial resistance
- Who does it affect
- Antimicrobials are being abused
- Health impact so far
- What you can do to help
- Hopes for the future
- Conclusion
What is a microbe
Microbes are microscopic organisms such as bacteria and fungi. They are genetically predisposed to reacting differently in varying conditions, like humans! Most of these tiny organisms are harmless to us, but some can cause infectious diseases.
Why we use antimicrobials
Antimicrobials are used to treat infectious diseases caused by microbes. The most commonly known antimicrobials are antibiotics, which are used to treat bacterial infections. Another example is antifungals. Some antimicrobials are also used pre-emptively (eg. after surgery) to prevent potential infectious diseases.What is antimicrobial/antibacterial resistance
Just like humans, microbes such as bacteria are constantly evolving and capable of developing resistance mechanisms to certain conditions. Over time, certain microbes have developed mechanisms that resist the antimicrobials we have at our disposal, and will pass on this resistance as they split to replicate. Thus, when an antimicrobial is applied, killing non-resistant microbes, the resistant microbes are left behind with more potential to pass on their genetic traits with ease. This leads to a growing population of antimicrobial-resistant microbes. Concerningly, since the replication periods of microbes are typically quite short, the resistance spreads rapidly.Who does it affect
Everyone, regardless of their background, nationality, fitness level, or wealth can and will be affected by antimicrobial resistance. Microbes are everywhere, and some even occur naturally in our bodies. They are unavoidable.Antimicrobials are being abused
It is common knowledge that antibiotics are prescribed to patients that have, or are at risk of infectious disease. This is the intended use of antibiotics and they can’t currently be replaced by any other techniques, although doctors and vets are being trained to more accurately detect and prescribe for these cases.There are many other uses of antimicrobials that contribute equivalently to antimicrobial resistance and can be replaced, but tend to slip under the radar. Antimicrobials are used extensively in the development and procurement of meat, in sanitary consumer products such as hand sanitizers and dish soaps, and even in articles of clothing such as socks. In these cases, antimicrobials are typically used as a cheaper alternative to proper hygienic practices. For example, many meat producers use antimicrobials to prevent infectious disease, allowing them to subject animals to gruesome conditions instead of providing a healthy, natural environment for the animals.
Health impact so far
In a 2019 report, the CDC found that more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections and 35 thousand related deaths occur in the US alone, each year. This fatality rate is relatively low for one simple, temporary reason. Typically, there are multiple antibiotics capable of killing certain bacteria and so when signs of resistance to one antibiotic are exhibited, it is substituted with another. A worrying trend that is emerging now, the end-game perhaps, is general antibacterial-resistance over all (or many) types of antibiotics. This type of resistance is projected to increase dramatically, in lieu of an intervention, and will kill countless people with deadly infections and without any hope of treatment.What you can do to help
We can slow down antimicrobial resistance by replacing antimicrobial/antibacterial products (check your dish/hand soaps and detergents, etc.) with conventional products that wash-away instead, washing your hands instead of using sanitizer, as well as supporting brands that aren’t afraid to invest in more conventional, less harmful cleaning practices. Another high impact action is seeking the meat of organic, free-range animals or cutting meat out of your diet completely. Finally, these best practices require adoption on a global scale, so you can certainly contribute by sharing all of this newly acquired knowledge, at the bare minimum.Hopes for the future
It goes without saying that the best way of fighting antimicrobial resistance is large-scale behavioral changes by the world's population, but there have also been some recent scientific advances that look promising. The CRISPR-Cas System, for example, hopes to turn an enzyme typically employed by bacteria to kill viruses, into a tool for humans to kill bacteria (the irony!). Although effective, the system currently displays signs of cell toxicity and is a ways away from approval and use on a large scale. It is likely that we will need the support of solutions such as CRISPR's system at some point in the future, but we desperately need to fend off the resistance in the meantime to allow these systems to mature. Allowing resistance to spread at the current rate will not be enough.
Conclusion
Antimicrobial resistance is a worrying threat to all of our well-beings that is gaining strength exponentially. There is still time to course-correct to a healthier future, but it’s going to require an effort from all individuals. We can fight this invisible threat by replacing antimicrobial/antibacterial products (soaps, detergents, etc.) with conventional ‘wash-away’ products, washing hands normally instead of using hand sanitizer, seeking brands that invest in conventional washing/cleaning practices that don’t use antimicrobials, and consuming organic/free-range animal products or cutting meat out of our diets entirely. In conclusion, creating awareness about the topic of antimicrobial resistance in conjunction with the above lifestyle improvements will go a long way in securing our futures, as well as future generations’ well-being.
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