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Antimicrobial susceptibility testing in a petri dish

Antimicrobial resistance: What is it and why should you care?

Jul 3, 2024 - McMaster University - 2-minutes

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a phenomenon in which microbes such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites evolve over time and no longer respond to medicines that have long treated the infections they cause. This makes infections more challenging to treat and increases the risk of disease spread, severe illness, and death.

In this 2-video, Dr. Jon Stokes shares why AMR is “an under-discussed pandemic” and how antibiotics "uphold the entirety of modern medicine".

Download a transcript of this video.

The World Health Organization considers AMR to be one of the top ten threats to global health. It is estimated antimicrobial resistance was directly responsible for 1.27 million deaths globally in 2019 and contributed to 4.95 million deaths.⁽¹⁾ Estimates suggest that the annual number of deaths could increase to 10 million by 2050.⁽²⁾

What can you do to reduce antibiotic resistance? Learn more with this infographic and additional information on the Health Canada website.

Give us your feedback on this video with this 2-question survey.

Featured Resources

Evidence Summary: In older people with bacteria in their urine and no symptoms, antibiotics may not prevent development of urinary tract infection

Evidence Summary: For acute bronchitis, antibiotics can reduce cough by about half a day but can cause side effects

Website: Health Canada - Antibiotic (antimicrobial) resistance

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Author Details

Jon Stokes

Jon Stokes, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University and is a member of the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research (IIDR).

References

1. Antimicrobial Resistance Collaborators. (2022). Global burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance in 2019: a systematic analysis. The Lancet; 399(10325): P629-655. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)02724-0

2. Drug-Resistant Infections: A Threat to Our Economic future (March 2027) https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/health/publication/drug-resistant-infections-a-threat-to-our-economic-future

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