Superbug threat more real than ever
Drug-resistant ‘superbugs’ could cause up to 10 million deaths a year by 2050, says a new CSIRO survey that's revealed the disturbingly low level of community knowledge about antibiotics.
Superbugs, attributed to the overuse of antibiotics, claimed the lives of an estimated 700,000 people globally last year.
In response, the OUTBREAK project was set up in 2019 by the University of Technology Sydney, and CSIRO among others.
The project aims to use artificial intelligence to predict superbug outbreaks and stop them before they reach the health system.
It also aims to prevent antibiotic-resistance and build community knowledge.
According to the national science agency:
- 92% do not know the difference between viral and bacterial infections
- 13% of Australians wrongly believe coronavirus can be treated with antibiotics
- 19% think antibiotics are needed to treat the common cold
- 14% have taken antibiotics prophylactically (“just in case”) when travelling overseas
“The misuse and overuse of antibiotics is a huge problem because it’s fueling the rise of drug-resistant ‘superbugs’, which cause life-threatening infections but are immune to normal antibiotics,” said CSIRO biosecurity research director Paul De Barro.
“When we run out of effective antibiotics, we’ll be back in the medical dark ages of the pre 1940s, where a scratch or simple infection killed, so it’s critical that the public are educated on this issue.”
Superbugs could cost the global economy US$100 trillion by 2050 and may contribute to a 5-10 per cent reduction in Australia’s GDP.
"The OUTBREAK project will use Artificial Intelligence to analyse enormous amounts of data from areas including agriculture, wastewater and hospitals to map and predict drug-resistant infections in real time, and model the best way to manage outbreaks before they reach the healthcare system," says a CSIRO report.
“This is a world-first and a unique opportunity to get on the front foot in the fight against superbugs,” added Dr De Barro.
“OUTBREAK uses a One Health approach, which means that, as well as people, we will look at how animals, plants and the environment contribute to antimicrobial resistance,” said OUTBREAK chief, Associate Professor Branwen Morgan.
“This will help us to intervene in ways that will have the greatest positive impact on our health and economy,” said Assoc. Prof. Morgan.
“Drug-resistant bacteria can infect anyone regardless of age, gender or location. To fight them, we need to fully understand which ones are a threat to our health and how they are spreading into and within Australia.”
For more information about superbugs, visit https://www.csiro.au/en/News
How often do you take antibiotics?
Interestingly nothing is said about the amount of antibiotics that is given to animals and then consumed by humans
Of course overpopulation of humans also contribues to this as more animals are consumed.
In my opinion they are the main reasons to the rise of drug-resistant ‘superbugs’
Maybe just maybe it is the Nature fighting back.