Antimicrobial Resistance as a Creeping Crisis

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) displays many of the characteristics of a creeping crisis. It lacks clearly definable temporal and spatial boundaries. It develops in the natural world when and where conditions are conducive. It traverses sectors and borders in the natural, human, and built environments. It causes individual and societal harm when it escalates toward outbreaks in a random fashion. Outbreaks can be minor or major, burn fast or slow, be simple or hard to contain. Experts insist we are heading toward a “post-antibiotic age” and even deadlier “superbugs” if we do not act. Yet warnings and crisis framings do not appear sufficient to prompt a response. Public attention and governmental action have lagged. Occasional outbreaks invite attention and concern, only for the issue to fade again from the public view. International organizations shine more sustained light on the problem, but national governments are slow to respond. This chapter argues that our dependency on antimicrobial drugs is a blessing and a curse: curing us in the short term but building the conditions for a massive, incurable outbreak in the future.

The challenges experts face during creeping crises: the curse of complacency

“…First, both AMR and climate change are longue durée issues, with timespans that stretch beyond any policy system (Staupe-Delgado et al, 2022;Viens and Littmann, 2015). Second, both issues are of a creeping or slow-onset nature, implying their impacts are ambiguous and not directly observable by the affected populations (Engström, 2021). Third, both issues are inherently transboundary issues (Baekkeskov et al, 2020); neither issue is confined to national borders or single sectors.…”

Biogenic carbon dots: a novel mechanistic approach to combat multidrug-resistant critical pathogens on the global priority list

“…The “dark ages” of bacterial illnesses ended with the development of antibiotics. 1,2 The main ways in which antibiotics work are by preventing the creation of bacterial cell walls, rupturing cell membranes, obstructing the production of bacterial proteins, and preventing the transcription and replication of bacterial nucleic acids. 3,4 However, repeated use of antibiotics can result in biofilms around bacteria, which impedes the interaction of antibiotic molecules with bacteria.…”

Bacteriologic Profile, Antibiotics Resistance Pattern, and Outcomes of Patients Admitted to Lancet General Hospital from June 2022 to June 2023: A Retrospective Cohort Study

“…The problem is expected to rise barring extensive interventions resulting in 10 million deaths by 2050. The highest impact is expected to be in Africa, accounting for 4.2 million deaths annually and Asia [3,4].…”