Trends in Antimicrobial Resistance Among Enteric Pathogens: A Global Concern. A Global Concern

Until recently, many of the enteric diseases, both bacterial as well as parasitic, in etiology could be treated with inexpensive antimicrobials. But today, the treatment has been made more costly and less effective (or, in other words, less successful) due to the emergence and widely spread resistant enteric microorganisms. Drug resistance is a large and growing problem in enteric infections (diarrheal diseases). Acquired resistance to antimicrobial drugs is becoming more prevalent among Vibrio cholerae, diarrheagenic Escherichia coli, nontyphoidal Salmonella, and Shigella. The people living below the poverty line throughout the world experience the brunt of extended illness and deaths brought about by resistance. To date, resistance containment requires a overall improvement in enteric disease control, access to and quality assurance of antimicrobials, and diagnostic setups in rural areas. One of the most effective measures of conserving antimicrobial drugs is to prevent enteric infections, which have diversified in recent years mainly due to the definition of previously unrecognized etiologic agents but also the spread of HIV and emergence of new pathogens. Safe water and sanitational measures, along with addressing the imbalance between antimicrobial drug supply and demand and building up infrastructure for rational antimicrobial usage, are priority areas for resistance control that would address and help the community at large. More research is essential to identify the lowest effective and high-impact interventions for the control of resistance to enteric pathogens.