The issue that will consume clinical staff in microbiology for some time to come is the international nightmare of developing new antibiotic treatments against bacteria that once responded well to standard regimens of drugs. MRSA ( Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is but one example of prevalent organisms in the natural and hospital setting that dominants this resistant problem. Infection control policies for contact, air, and droplet isolation of patients harboring this organism and others is standard protocol in modern medical facilities. Already resistant to forms of methicillin, strains are now appearing that are resistant to the well known treatment of vancomycin.
This example of one microbe that constantly evolves or changes its DNA to survive the chemical onslaught of antibiotics mirrors just a small reflection of the scope of this crisis. The aim to develop new antibiotics to treat patients has reached a level that demands a worldwide response. President Obama along with Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt helped found TATFAR( TransAtlantic Task Force on Antibiotic Resistance) on November 4,2009. Coupled with other European countries and help from the CDC(Center of Disease Control and Prevention) programs are in place to help train doctors and their patients about proper prescribing, dosage, and use of antibiotics. Particular emphasis will be needed to monitor altered strains of Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterococcus. All these categories or genus of bacteria have presented themselves on the scene in hospital and clinical settings showing a variety of response in patients in resistant patterns.
I am aware that this appears to sound quite encompassing a subject, so the bottom line is that drug companies must pursue new molecular pathways to provide superior antibiotic treatments against an ever evolving scope of disease producing microorganisms. It must be a concerted effort, a teamwork of laboratory scientists and the private sector, coupled with governmental priority and support. This battle is time consuming, expensive, and will keep laboratories busy for quite some time. Labs must be on alert and work with their infection control officers and maintain protocol to be alert to any patterns or organisms they culture. Taken together on all levels, this issue concerns all of society, and gives greater emphasis to educate people on the use of antibiotics.
Source Cited:
Bartlett, J.G., M.D. Antibiotic Resistance: The Rapidly Evolving Field of Infectious Disease.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/735126_print 11 Oct 2011
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