The World Health Organization (WHO) is sounding the alarm on high levels of resistance in bacteria.

A new WHO report reveals that common bacterial infections are becoming increasingly resistant to treatments and that there are high levels of resistance in bacteria that can cause life-threatening bloodstream infections. The report is based on data from 87 countries, including Australia. 

The latest Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) report shows high levels (above 50 per cent) of resistance were reported in bacteria frequently causing bloodstream infections in hospitals, such as Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter spp. 

These life-threatening infections require treatment with last-resort antibiotics, such as carbapenems. 

However, 8 per cent of bloodstream infections caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae were reported as resistant to carbapenems, increasing the risk of death due to unmanageable infections.

Common bacterial infections are becoming increasingly resistant to treatments. 

Over 60 per cent of Neisseria gonorrhoea isolates, a common sexually transmitted disease, have shown resistance to one of the most used oral antibacterials, ciprofloxacin. 

Over 20 per cent of E.coli isolates – the most common pathogen in urinary tract infections – were resistant to both first-line drugs (ampicillin and co-trimoxazole) and second-line treatments (fluoroquinolones).

“Antimicrobial resistance undermines modern medicine and puts millions of lives at risk,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. 

“To truly understand the extent of the global threat and mount an effective public health response to AMR [antimicrobial resistance], we must scale up microbiology testing and provide quality-assured data across all countries, not just wealthier ones.”

Although most resistance trends have remained stable over the past 4 years, bloodstream infections due to resistant Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. and resistant gonorrhoea infections increased by at least 15 per cent compared to rates in 2017. 

The experts say that more research is needed to identify the reasons behind the observed AMR increase and to what extent it is related to raised hospitalisations and increased antibiotic treatments during the COVID-19 pandemic.