A descriptive analysis of antimicrobial resistance patterns of WHO priority pathogens isolated in children from a tertiary care hospital in India

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) has articulated a priority pathogens list (PPL) to provide strategic direction to research and develop new antimicrobials. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) patterns of WHO PPL in a tertiary health care facility in Southern India were explored to understand the local priority pathogens. Culture reports of laboratory specimens collected between 1st January 2014 and 31st October 2019 from paediatric patients were extracted. The antimicrobial susceptibility patterns for selected antimicrobials on the WHO PPL were analysed and reported. Of 12,256 culture specimens screened, 2335 (19%) showed culture positivity, of which 1556 (66.6%) were organisms from the WHO-PPL. E. coli was the most common organism isolated (37%), followed by Staphylococcus aureus (16%). Total of 72% of E. coli were extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) producers, 55% of Enterobacteriaceae were resistant to 3rd generation cephalosporins due to ESBL, and 53% of Staph. aureus were Methicillin-resistant. The analysis showed AMR trends and prevalence patterns in the study setting and the WHO-PPL document are not fully comparable. This kind of local priority difference needs to be recognised in local policies and practices.

Les misérables: a Parallel Between Antimicrobial Resistance and COVID-19 in Underdeveloped and Developing Countries

“…In February 2017, to focus on and guide research and development related to new antibiotics, the WHO published its list of pathogens for which antimicrobial development is urgently needed [2]. This comprehensive list has designated ESKAPE pathogens as "priority status" [23].…”

“…progressively decrease, indicating that mass vaccination can contain outbreaks of COVID-19 [2,3], also showing the possibility of the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

“…In addition, the emergence and spread of resistant pathogens threaten our ability to treat previously common infections [2, 12•, 13•]. Based on this precept, the WHO has released a list of drug-resistant bacteria that pose the greatest threat to human health [2], categorizing them as critical, high, and medium priority organisms in terms of antimicrobial resistance.…”

Binding of cationic analogues of α-MSH to lipopolysaccharide and disruption of the cytoplasmic membranes caused bactericidal action against Escherichia coli

“…Despite the growing awareness, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) continues to increase and has become a global threat to public health, particularly after the upsurge of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains 1 . The spread of MDR Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) is one of the most pressing emerging issues in recent years 2 , 3 , with nine of the twelve pathogens listed as public health threats by the World Health Organization being Gram-negative 4 .…”

Isolation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Phages from Wastewaters

“…It has been forewarned that by 2050 antibiotic resistance will be responsible for the death of 10 million people (Sharma et al, 2021). In another study, AMR was projected to drain the global economy of US$100 trillion in the same period (Mogasale et al, 2021). Among the ESKAPE (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumonia, Acinetobacter baumanii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacteriaceae) pathogens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been classified as one of the critical priority pathogens (WHO, 2017).…”