Bogotá, June 13, 2024. In a barely recognized historical moment in 1930, the discovery of penicillin marked the beginning of an era in which humanity managed to effectively combat bacterial infections. However, this advance also meant the beginning of a constant battle between antibiotics and pathogenic bacteria. Since then, the massive use of these drugs has led bacteria to develop resistance as a natural response to their survival, a phenomenon predicted by Alexander Fleming, who warned about the danger of incorrect use of antibiotics that could lead to bacterial resistance. .
Today, superbugs represent a growing threat. These bacterial strains are capable of resisting multiple types of antibiotics, making it difficult to treat common infections and significantly increasing the risk of serious complications and even death for affected patients. In some extreme cases, as illustrated by a woman’s tragic incident in Nevada in 2016, certain bacteria have become resistant to all known antibiotics, leaving doctors without effective treatment options.
According to recent reports from the WHO and the UN, if urgent action is not taken, resistant bacteria could become the leading cause of death globally by 2050, surpassing even cancer and cardiovascular diseases. In 2019, infections caused by resistant bacteria were estimated to have caused nearly 1.3 million direct deaths and contributed to approximately 5 million additional related deaths worldwide.
Bacteria’s ability to adapt is facilitated by their high mutation rate and the ability to exchange genes between species, a process known as horizontal gene transfer. Additionally, globalization has accelerated the spread of these resistant strains globally, meaning that a problem detected in one country can quickly become a global concern.
The development of new antibiotics has slowed significantly in recent decades, exacerbating the problem and leaving doctors with limited resources to combat these resistant infections. Antibiotics of last resort, while effective, also face the risk of becoming ineffective against constantly evolving superbugs.
Bacterial resistance represents a global crisis that requires a coordinated response at an international level. Implementing rigorous policies for the appropriate use of antibiotics in both humans and agriculture, as well as investing in research into new antimicrobial therapies, are important measures to preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics and ensure global public health for decades to come. .
