ICMR Warns Of Rising Antibiotic Resistance As UTI, Typhoid, And Pneumonia Cases Show Poor Response

ICMR's report reveals alarming antibiotic resistance rates in India. The study highlights the decreased effectiveness of common antibiotics, posing challenges in treating UTIs, pneumonia, and typhoid.

A recent report by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has sounded the alarm on the growing issue of antibiotic resistance in India. The findings, released by the Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network (AMRSN), underscore the increasing ineffectiveness of several common antibiotics used to treat infections such as pneumonia, sepsis, urinary tract infections (UTIs), and typhoid.

The report analysed a total of 99,492 samples collected from both public and private healthcare facilities across the country between 1 January and 31 December 2023. The samples, sourced from various parts of the body—including blood, urine, and respiratory tract infections—were tested against bacteria such as E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus.

One of the key findings of the AMRSN report is the rising resistance of E. coli, especially in intensive care units (ICUs) and outpatient settings. Many commonly used antibiotics, including cefotaxime, ceftazidime, ciprofloxacin, and levofloxacin, have shown less than 20% effectiveness in combating this bacterium, India Today reported.

Similarly, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa have exhibited increasing resistance, particularly to crucial antibiotics such as piperacillin-tazobactam, imipenem, and meropenem. For example, the effectiveness of piperacillin-tazobactam has dropped significantly, from 56.8% in 2017 to just 42.4% in 2023. 

"E. coli isolates demonstrated a decrease in susceptibility to most antibiotics, with piperacillin-tazobactam dropping from 56.8% in 2017 to 42.4% in 2023, amikacin
from 79.2% in 2017 to 68.2% in 2023, and significant decline in susceptibility to carbapenems (81.4% in 2017 to 62.7% in 2023 for imipenem and 73.2% in 2017 to
66.0% in 2023 for meropenem)," the ICMR report stated.

ICMR Highlights Growing Difficulty In Treating Diseases Like UTIs, Blood Infections, Pneumonia, And Typhoid

The report also highlights the growing difficulty in treating diseases like urinary tract infections (UTIs), blood infections, pneumonia, and typhoid, as the bacteria responsible are no longer responding to common antibiotics. It particularly emphasises the challenges posed by gram-negative bacteria, which can infect any part of the body and are frequently found in critical samples such as blood, urine, and the lungs, according to India Today.

ICMR researchers have identified alarming resistance levels in bacteria causing gastroenteritis, such as Salmonella typhi, which have developed over 95% resistance to fluoroquinolones, a widely used class of antibiotics for treating severe infections.

"Continuous surveillance of antimicrobial susceptibilities is crucial for tailoring empiric antibiotic therapy, optimising patient outcomes, and controlling the spread of resistance," the report stated.

The findings of the seventh annual AMRSN report underline the urgent need for stricter controls on antibiotic use to address this escalating situation. The data, collected from hospitals and clinics nationwide, provide an insight into the growing resistance to vital antibiotics used to treat severe infections like pneumonia, sepsis, respiratory infections, and diarrhoea.

The findings call for urgent action to curb the growing threat of antibiotic resistance. The ICMR urged stricter control over antibiotic use and raised concerns over the future effectiveness of treatments for bacterial infections if immediate steps are not taken.