The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) released a list of the 29 most dangerous drug-resistant pathogens on 17/9, according to National Post. These 29 pathogens were selected from an initial list of 68, and ranked based on their drug resistance, transmission rate, mortality rate, and impact on vulnerable groups.
"The pathogen watch list reflects the current reality in Canada", said Gerry Wright, a professor of biochemistry and biomedical sciences at McMaster University. "If no new drugs come to market, we will see more people hospitalized and even dying because antibiotics no longer work."
Enterobacterales, a family of bacteria that includes E. Coli and Salmonella, tops Canada's highest priority list of dangerous pathogens. These bacteria can cause urinary tract, abdominal, and bloodstream infections, spreading through direct contact or contaminated medical equipment.
Highly drug-resistant gonorrhea ranks second on the list. In 2022, the number of cases in Canada tripled compared to three decades ago. Experts also described carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas bacteria as "extremely dangerous" with the ability to resist most existing antibiotics.
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Illustrative photo: Sky News |
Illustrative photo: Sky News
Antimicrobial resistance is one of the leading global health threats. It occurs when pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites change, making antibiotics and other specific drugs unable to kill them. Infections become more difficult to treat, increasing the risk of spread, severe illness, and death. In Canada alone, antimicrobial resistance caused 14,000 deaths in 2018.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that from 2020-2023, Vietnam had nearly 270,000 deaths due to antimicrobial resistance. The rate of antimicrobial resistance in Vietnam is high due to factors such as overuse and misuse of antibiotics, the sale of antibiotics without a doctor's prescription, and inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions.
Binh Minh (From National Post)
