A new World Health Organization (WHO) report looked at the prevalence of drug-resistant bacteria in 114 countries.
The report documents resistance to antibiotics in every region of the world, especially last-resort antibiotics, it also highlights gaps in surveillance systems that should monitor the problem, a WHO news release reported.
Antibiotics fight bacteria, but resistance can occur when bacteria mutate in order to protect themselves against the drugs.
The researchers found a high level of antibiotic resistance in third-generation cephalosporins in "Klebsiella pneumonia."
In some areas of the European region 60 percent of "Staphylococcus aureus" infections were resistant to methicillin, meaning standard treatments would be ineffective. This type of bacteria is often found in both respiratory and skin infections.
Many countries in the European Union (EU) were found to be lacking in their work to detect this type of antibiotic resistance.
The WHO is working to improve drug-resistance monitoring through the Central Asian and Eastern European Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance (CAESAR) network. The team hopes to set up a larger network of these national surveillance systems in hopes of monitoring every country in the European region.
The effort will cover seven "keys of action,": "promoting national intersectoral coordinations; strengthening surveillance of antimicrobial resistance; strengthening surveillance and promoting stewardship of antimicrobial drug use; strengthening surveillance of resistance to and use of antimicrobial agents in the food animal industry; improving infection control and stewardship of antimicrobial resistance in health care settings; promoting research and innovation in new drugs and technology; and ensuring patient safety and improving awareness of antimicrobial use and resistance," the news release reported.
The work is extremely important; if drug resistance continues to escalate the effects could be devastating.
"A post-antibiotic era - in which common infections and minor injuries can kill - far from being an apocalyptic fantasy, is instead a very real possibility for the 21st Century," WHO wrote in their report overview.
