Antibiotic resistance has become a serious worldwide concern that endangers the environment and public health. This problem has led to protracted illnesses, higher healthcare expenses, and higher death rates. It is caused by the abuse and overuse of antibiotics. This leads to extended hospital stays, escalated medical expenses, and heightened vulnerability, especially among marginalized communities with limited access to healthcare. Prolonged illnesses due to resistant infections, which can lead to increased hindering of human capital development. These resistant strains can contaminate water bodies, soil, and food, subsequently entering the human food chain and exacerbating the spread of resistance. In conclusion, antibiotic/antimicrobial abstention stands as a menacing global predicament, entwining social health and environmental stability. Immediate and coordinated efforts are imperative to preserve the efficacy of antibiotics, safeguard human well-being, and protect the environment from the far-reaching repercussions of antibiotic resistance.
TopIntroduction: Antibiotics
Antibiotics are a class of antimicrobial substances that are either naturally produced by microorganisms or synthetically created. They are primarily used to inhibit the growth or destroy bacteria, and in some cases, fungi. Antibiotics work by targeting specific structures or functions within bacterial cells, disrupting their ability to survive, reproduce, or maintain their cell wall integrity. Instead of attacking host cells, antibiotics target only certain types of microbial cells. Antibiotics have a wide range of physical, chemical, and animal toxicity properties. Due to these characteristics, some antibiotics have the potential to be utilized as chemotherapeutics and to treat a diversity of microbiological sickness in both human and beasts (Wingo, S. M. 1945).
Background and Significance
The era of antibiotics began with the accidental discovery of penicillin by Sir Alexander Fleming in 1928. He observed that the mold Penicillium produced a substance that killed a wide range of bacteria. Following penicillin's discovery, researchers identified and developed other antibiotics like Streptomycin, Chloramphenicol, and Tetracycline (Figure 1). These drugs were instrumental in treating a variety of bacterial infections.
Figure 1. A brief history of released antibiotics
There have been numerous suggestions made to widen the concept of “antibiotic” and further classify the medications that fall under this heading. These distinctions would be based on the substance's origin or mode of operation. ‘Wingo’ suggested that the term “antibiotic” be expanded to include substances other than microbial products that have antibacterial properties. Therefore, the three subcategories of antibiotics would be “Mycoantibiotics” (produced from byproducts of bacteria and fungi), “chemo antibiotics” (derived from synthetic materials), and “action antibiotics” (radiant energy). If such a divide were justified, then “zoo antibiotics” (Lysozyme, Erythrin, and other animal products) and “Phytoantibiotics” (things derived by higher plants and green algae) would need to be included to this list (Oxford, Albert E. 1945).
The Natural History of Antibiotics
The Selman Waksman initially used the word “Antibiotic” in 1941 to describe several minute molecule created by bacteria that prevents the excrescency of different germs. The antibiotic era began between 1945 and 1955 with the discovery of β-Lactam such as penicillin, which is produced by a fungus Penicilium Notatum, along with Chloramphenicol, tetracycline, and streptomycin which may be generated by sludge that is soil bacteria. Finding novel antibiotics and reducing antibiotic resistance may result from studying their natural history (Clardy, Jon et al.,2009).
Antibiotic Resistance: A Brief Overview
The greatest challenge to humanity in the twenty-first century is antimicrobial resistance. It now ranks among the largest threats to the general public's health. According to the WHO (WHO, 2011), infections caused by resistant bacteria kill over 20,000 people annually in the US and the European Union. (Abdo A. Elfiky, 2020), Having a resistant strain of infection that increases the morbidity and mortality rates of prevalent illnesses as well as the connected medical price, which can arrive millions of dollars yearly, and significantly reduces the possibility of a viable medication being accessible. The WHO has issued a warning about the growing possibility of the advent of a “post-antibiotic” age in which routine illnesses could once again be fatal. (Agel, Michael R. et al., 2019).