ICMR [Indian Council for Medical Research] opinion on Superbugs
- In 2017, nearly 80% E.coli and Klebsiella Pneumonia infections in tertiary care hospitals responded well to Carbapenam antibiotic treatment.
- But In 2023, response to carbapenam reduced and these bacteria become superbug.
- ICMR has found the abuse of antimicrobials (antibiotics, antivirals or antifungals) to be the reason for this, which is says has led to widespread resistance among people.
- India faces a “pandemic” of superbugs, the country’s top public health experts have warned, as resistance to common antibiotics has jumped by 10 per cent in just one year
- The resistance level is increasing to five to ten per cent every year for broad spectrum antimicrobials, which are highly misused.
What is Carbapenam?
Carbapenems are a subclass of antibiotics called beta-lactam antibiotics (antibiotics that have a chemical structure called a beta-lactam ring). Beta-lactam antibiotics also include cephalosporins, monobactams, and penicillins.
Carbapenems are broad-spectrum antibiotics. That is, they are effective against many types of bacteria, including bacteria that are resistant to many other antibiotics.
Carbapenems include the following:
Doripenem
Ertapenem
Imipenem
Meropenem
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