<p>An alarming presence of&nbsp;superbugs has been observed in 21 of the country's leading hospitals, according to a recent report by the&nbsp;Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The presence of superbugs poses a threat to the lives of the patients being operated in these facilities.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Superbugs classified by the World Health Organization (WHO), viz.,&nbsp;Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli, were mainly found in&nbsp;hospitals such as&nbsp;AIIMS Delhi, PGI Chandigarh, Apollo Hospital Chennai, and Gangaram Hospital in Delhi, among several others.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The report added that&nbsp;these superbugs were found in patient samples, including blood, urine, and other fluids, collected from Outpatient Departments (OPD), wards, and Intensive Care Units (ICU).</p>

<p>The revelation has sent&nbsp;alarm bells ringing with hospitals being advised to practice better management of medications and stricter protocols for the disposal of bacterial waste to prevent the further spread of superbugs.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Superbugs to be as big&nbsp;a killer&nbsp;as cancer?&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>A&nbsp;report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) published earlier this year stated that superbugs could be&nbsp;as big a killer as cancer is today by 2050.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The report added that the direct economic consequence of such superbugs would be approximately $3.4 trillion a year by the end of 2030. Additionally, 24 million people could be pushed into extreme poverty.</p>

<p>Pollution caused by animal farming and pharmaceutical companies has exacerbated the rise of superbugs, the report highlighted.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/lab-grown-superbug-to-treat-sewage-water-in-australia-375928"><strong>Watch |&nbsp;Lab grown superbug to treat sewage water in Australia</strong></a></p>

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<h2><strong>What are superbugs?</strong></h2>

<p>Superbugs are strains of bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites that are resistant to most antibiotic medicines, including the modern ones. They are often caused by the misuse of antibiotics.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The disinfectants, antiseptics and antibiotics that can help microbes become stronger are everywhere, from toothpaste and shampoo to cow's milk and wastewater.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/poo-transplants-to-help-patients-struggling-with-superbugs-511792" target="_blank"><strong>Read more: Poo transplants to help patients struggling with superbugs</strong></a></p>

<p>They become Antimicrobial Resistant (AMR), primarily through two means. One is the excessive use of medicines in animal farming which provides the bacterial strains with the opportunity to mutate and avoid the effects of any antibiotic.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Secondly, pharma companies polluting the waterways. The drug companies do not treat the medical sewage adequately which creates resistant superbugs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>AMR is a natural phenomenon as experts call it 'genetic capitalism'. However, the overuse of medicines, especially antibiotics has exacerbated the process.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


An alarming presence of superbugs has been observed in 21 of the country's leading hospitals, according to a recent report by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

An alarming presence of superbugs has been observed in 21 of the country's leading hospitals, according to a recent report by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The presence of superbugs poses a threat to the lives of the patients being operated in these facilities. Superbugs classified by the World Health Organization (WHO), viz., Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli, were mainly found in hospitals such as AIIMS Delhi, PGI Chandigarh, Apollo Hospital Chennai, and Gangaram Hospital in Delhi, among several others. The report added that these superbugs were found in patient samples, including blood, urine, and other fluids, collected from Outpatient Departments (OPD), wards, and Intensive Care Units (ICU). The revelation has sent alarm bells ringing with hospitals being advised to practice better management of medications and stricter protocols for the disposal of bacterial waste to prevent the further spread of superbugs. Superbugs to be as big a killer as cancer? A report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) published earlier this year stated that superbugs could be as big a killer as cancer is today by 2050. The report added that the direct economic consequence of such superbugs would be approximately $3.4 trillion a year by the end of 2030. Additionally, 24 million people could be pushed into extreme poverty. Pollution caused by animal farming and pharmaceutical companies has exacerbated the rise of superbugs, the report highlighted. Watch | Lab grown superbug to treat sewage water in Australia × What are superbugs? Superbugs are strains of bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites that are resistant to most antibiotic medicines, including the modern ones. They are often caused by the misuse of antibiotics. The disinfectants, antiseptics and antibiotics that can help microbes become stronger are everywhere, from toothpaste and shampoo to cow's milk and wastewater. Read more: Poo transplants to help patients struggling with superbugs They become Antimicrobial Resistant (AMR), primarily through two means. One is the excessive use of medicines in animal farming which provides the bacterial strains with the opportunity to mutate and avoid the effects of any antibiotic. Secondly, pharma companies polluting the waterways. The drug companies do not treat the medical sewage adequately which creates resistant superbugs. AMR is a natural phenomenon as experts call it 'genetic capitalism'. However, the overuse of medicines, especially antibiotics has exacerbated the process. (With inputs from agencies)

Alarming presence of superbugs in 21 top Indian hospitals, reveals ICMR report

<p>US President Joe Biden, on Wednesday (September 27), is likely to announce a USD 100 million research drive to fight deadly drug-resistant bacteria, said Reuters citing an unnamed White House official. World Health Organization (WHO) data says that more than a million people die across the world each year due to infections caused by antibiotics-resistant bacteria. The concern is growing across the globe that infectious bacteria would soon be completely resistant to even 'last-resort' antibiotics.</p>

<p>According to the US Centers for Disease Control, more than 35,000 people lose their lives annually due to drug-resistant bacteria.</p>

<p>The problem of drug-resistant bacteria is believed to have become worse after the Covid pandemic as many patients across the world were prescribed antibiotics.</p>

<p>Experts all over the world have been warning of 'superbugs' or evolved bacteria that develop resistance to antibiotics due to their misuse and overuse.</p>

<p>This has given rise to need for new antibiotics capable of combating drug-resistant bacteria. However, there hasn't been much incentive for such a research in drug companies as antibiotics are not especially profitable.</p>

<p>The big push by the Biden administration will spur research that will be driven by Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). It is a government research agency which was launched last year by President Biden and the US Congress.</p>

<p>It has been reported that Biden is planning to make the announcement during a meeting in San Francisco with President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.</p>

<p>The council includes academic experts and officials from Advanced Micro Devices, Microsoft and Google.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Reuters cited the unnamed White House official who said that Biden is also likely to discuss an executive order that's being drafted. The order is on artificial intelligence.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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US President Joe Biden, on Wednesday (September 27), is likely to announce a USD 100 million research drive to fight deadly drug-resistant bacteria, said Reuters citing an unnamed White House official.

US President Joe Biden, on Wednesday (September 27), is likely to announce a USD 100 million research drive to fight deadly drug-resistant bacteria, said Reuters citing an unnamed White House official. World Health Organization (WHO) data says that more than a million people die across the world each year due to infections caused by antibiotics-resistant bacteria. The concern is growing across the globe that infectious bacteria would soon be completely resistant to even 'last-resort' antibiotics. According to the US Centers for Disease Control, more than 35,000 people lose their lives annually due to drug-resistant bacteria. The problem of drug-resistant bacteria is believed to have become worse after the Covid pandemic as many patients across the world were prescribed antibiotics. Experts all over the world have been warning of 'superbugs' or evolved bacteria that develop resistance to antibiotics due to their misuse and overuse. This has given rise to need for new antibiotics capable of combating drug-resistant bacteria. However, there hasn't been much incentive for such a research in drug companies as antibiotics are not especially profitable. The big push by the Biden administration will spur research that will be driven by Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). It is a government research agency which was launched last year by President Biden and the US Congress. It has been reported that Biden is planning to make the announcement during a meeting in San Francisco with President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. The council includes academic experts and officials from Advanced Micro Devices, Microsoft and Google. Reuters cited the unnamed White House official who said that Biden is also likely to discuss an executive order that's being drafted. The order is on artificial intelligence. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Biden to kickstart USD 100 million drive to fight drug-resistant bacteria: Report

Antibiotic-resistant superbugs have been detected in two major Los Angeles wastewater treatment plants that served more than 7.8 million people. These bacteria can spread widely and cannot be killed by even the most powerful antibiotics like Colistin and Carbapenems. Molly Gambhir tells you more.

Gravitas: Superbugs found in Los Angeles wastewater | Will it create another pandemic?