[lyka_candelario]

It’s a tougher time this year as more superbugs are arising and a lot of antibiotics are still in their earlier phase of experiments.

Let’s look into the well-known antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

We have the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA which is a type of staph bacteria resistant to a range of beta-lactam antibiotics. Such bacteria resist the mechanisms of action of penicillin, methicillin, oxacillin, and amoxicillin.

These microorganisms are actually normal flora in the skin and even in the nose. They only become a nuisance when they cause infection, especially to those with weakened immune systems. Although some staph-caused infections are easily treatable, the MRSA on the other hand, are more stubborn since they do not respond to their prescribed antibiotics.

Since staph can be found in the skin, its mode of transfer is also through physical contact. Staph bacteria can be passed through burns, wounds, IV sites, and when inside the body, they can reach the blood, eyes, heart, or bones. When infected, a wound infection of yours may appear tender and red. Boils and abscesses may also appear.

Next, we also have the multi-drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It causes the disease tuberculosis but having resistance to one of its drug therapies. These could either be rifampicin (RMP) or isoniazid (INH), which are the two most powerful first-line treatment of anti-TB medications. Since pulmonary tuberculosis alone needs an array of drugs to get rid of the disease for a long duration, it is possible that compliance can be interrupted. This then produces bacterial resistance.

Another common nosocomial infection-producing microorganism is the vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE). It is also a natural resident of our skin and intestines and do not usually cause problems. They can raid other parts of the gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract, and skin wounds when as an infection. The microbes can also spread through casual contact or from contaminated materials. People who get skin infection by VRE can have red and painful wounds, common urinary difficulties when with UTI, and for some, diarrhea, body malaise, and fever. Such bacteria become resistant when it acquires a special part of its DNA, called the plasmid.

The rise of superbugs and their imminent spread to easily accessible areas have caused tension to scientists and other health care professionals. It is but everybody’s job to be valiant in disease prevention protocols in which the simplest way is sanitation.