Antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotic resistance poses serious challenges to health and national security, and policy changes will be required to mitigate the consequences of antibiotic resistance. Resistance can arise in disease-causing bacteria naturally, or it can be deliberately introduced to a biological weapon. In either case, life-saving drugs are rendered ineffective. Resistant bacterial infections are difficult to treat, and there are few new antibiotics in the drug development pipeline. This article describes how antibiotic resistance affects health and national security, how bacteria become antibiotic resistant, and what should be done now so antibiotics will be available to save lives in the future.
Rambhia
Kunal J
KJ
Center for Biosecurity of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland 21202, USA. krambhia@upmc-biosecurity.org
Gronvall
Gigi Kwik
GK
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000600:supply & distribution; D023482:Bioterrorism; D015510:Clinical Medicine; D004189:Disaster Planning; D017277:Drug Approval; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D011057:Politics; D012637:Security Measures; D014481:United States
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents