The latest report from India’s medical panel has revealed an alarming rise in antibiotic resistance across the country.

Some diseases, such as urinary tract infections (UTIs), blood infections, pneumonia and typhoid, are becoming harder to treat because the bacteria responsible for them no longer respond to common antibiotics.

The Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network (AMRSN) of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) released its annual report, which focused on the following: Common antibiotics used to treat infections Such as pneumonia, sepsis, respiratory infections and diarrhea.

The findings of the seventh detailed report are based on data collected from hospitals and clinics across India, covering both outpatients and intensive care units (ICUs) between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2023.

The report tested antibiotics against bacteria such as E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. These bacteria were found in samples from different parts of the body, such as blood, urine, respiratory tract and infections.

A total of 99,492 samples were analysed from public and private health centres.

One of the key findings was the growing resistance to E. coli, especially in ICU (intensive care units) and outpatient settings. Several antibiotics, such as cefotaxime, ceftazidime, ciprofloxacin, and levofloxacin, showed less than 20% effectiveness against this bacteria.

Similarly, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa also showed increasing resistance, especially to important antibiotics such as piperacillin-tazobactam, imipenem, and meropenem.

The report showed that the effectiveness of many antibiotics is decreasing over time. For example, the effectiveness of piperacillin-tazobactam dropped from 56.8% in 2017 to just 42.4% in 2023.

Even commonly used antibiotics such as amikacin and meropenem are losing their ability to fight infections.

Gram-negative bacteria, which can cause infection in any part of the body, are the most common germs in critical samples such as blood, urine, and lungs.

ICMR researchers found that gastroenteritis-causing bacteria, such as Salmonella Typhi, have developed more than 95% resistance to fluoroquinolones, a type of antibiotic commonly used to treat severe infections.

“Continuous monitoring of antimicrobial susceptibility is critical to optimize empirical antibiotic therapy, optimize patient outcomes, and control the spread of resistance,” the report states.

The report calls for urgent action to tackle the growing threat of antibiotic resistance and urges strict controls on antibiotic use.

The report also highlights the misuse of crucial antibiotics in agriculture, which contributes to the problem of resistance. The report says that stronger measures are needed to maintain the effectiveness of antibiotics essential for both human and animal health.

A previous survey conducted by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) under the Union Health Ministry had found that nearly half of the antibiotics prescribed in India were causing antimicrobial resistance.