Multi-resistant germs pose an ever greater risk to our health. Here you can find out how the pathogens arise, why they are so dangerous and how you can protect yourself.
Bacteria are found everywhere – in the air, in our homes, on our skin and in our food. In everyday life, this does not pose a risk to our health. Firstly, our body’s own defense mechanisms protect us from infections and secondly, the majority of all bacteria are useful and necessary.
However, people with pre-existing conditions, the elderly and children are more susceptible to all types of harmful germs. Since the 20th century, doctors have had an effective way to treat bacterial infections: antibiotics. They work by either inhibiting the growth of bacteria or killing them. This is different with so-called multi-resistant germs.
What are multi-resistant germs?
Multi-resistant germs (multi-resistant pathogens, or MRE germs for short) are pathogens against which antibiotics are no longer effective. The bacteria have acquired this ability through an evolutionary adaptation. They have learned to assert themselves against the antibiotics used to combat them. This has exposed a misconception in medicine: that the widespread use of antibiotics can bring pathogens under control permanently.
Multi-resistant germs therefore pose a particular challenge in treatment because conventional antibiotics are ineffective against them. It is known that multi-resistant germs are particularly common in hospitals and nursing homes. But recent studies show that they are also widespread elsewhere, for example in bodies of water and bathing lakes.
How do multi-resistant germs arise?
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It has been found that multi-resistant germs arise primarily in places where a particularly large number of antibiotics are used. These are, of course, primarily hospitals and care facilities. But the pharmaceutical industry, as the producer of antibiotics, also plays a large role in the development of resistance. For many years, antibiotics were considered an all-purpose weapon against bacterial pathogens of all kinds. But the following factors have encouraged the development of resistance:
- Unreliable medication intake by patients, i.e. irregularly or too early discontinuation of medication. The bacteria treated with antibiotics can thus survive in the body and develop resistance through the ongoing fight against the medication.
- Too frequent administration of antibiotics, even for less serious illnesses. For a long time, antibiotics were considered a kind of miracle cure for all bacterial infections. However, they were also often used against viral pathogens against which they have no effect at all.
- The use of broad-spectrum antibiotics also causes problems. These are antibiotics that act against different types of bacteria. They therefore introduce many more antidotes into the body than is actually necessary. Combined with the unreliable use of antibiotics, this results in bacterial strains that survive treatment and can therefore pass on their resistance.
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Inadequate wastewater treatment in the pharmaceutical industry and improper disposal of medicines lead to the emergence of multi-resistant germs in lakes and rivers.
A second “breeding ground” for the development of multi-resistant germs is industrial livestock farming:
Due to poor living conditions, farm animals often suffer from infectious diseases. The long-term and often preventative administration of antibiotics is also highly problematic here. This is because multi-resistant germs enter the wastewater and thus also the waterways through excreta and other waste from animal husbandry.
Added to this is the use of so-called reserve antibiotics, which are used against highly dangerous and already resistant pathogens. This creates a dangerous spiral through which a growing number of multi-resistant germs are emerging from fattening farms.
What types of multi-resistant germs are there?
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Based on the figures showing which germs lead to how many infections in hospitals, it is possible to determine which MRE are most widespread:
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MRSA: The most common multi-resistant germ in Germany is Staphylococcus aureus. This bacterium is resistant to the antibiotic methicillin and many other antibiotics and is therefore usually called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus – MRSA for short. MRSA causes wound infections, respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections and blood poisoning. Due to its pronounced resistance, it is difficult to treat.
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VRE: The so-called enterococci are bacteria that are found in the intestinal flora of many healthy people and in many foods. The most important representative of enterobacteria is Escherichia coli. If the immune system is weakened, enterococci can cause intestinal infections, urinary tract infections or blood poisoning. Because many enterococci are resistant to the antibiotic vancomycin, they are also referred to as vancomycin-resistant enterococci – VRE for short.
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Pseudomonas aeruginosa: This bacterium is mainly found in moist environments such as tap water, sinks, showers or toilets and is one of the most common hospital germs. It causes purulent pneumonia, urinary tract infections, wound infections, blood poisoning, meningitis and intestinal inflammation, among other things.
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Acinetobacter: Bacteria of this genus are developing increasing resistance to common antibiotics. Hospital infections are therefore becoming more common in patients with weakened immune systems. This primarily affects ventilated patients in intensive care units. The bacteria primarily cause pneumonia. Possible consequences also include blood poisoning, meningitis and wound infections.
Some of the pathogens are named according to the type of resistance they exhibit, such as ESBL bacteria (beta-lactamase-producing enterobacteria). They are able to render antibiotics ineffective with the help of an enzyme.
How can multi-resistant germs be combated?
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The spread of multi-resistant pathogens and their rapidly growing resistance has reached alarming levels. Doctors, health associations and the World Health Organization have been fighting for many years to contain the danger.
The first measure recommended was to prescribe fewer antibiotics. Better developed active substances should only be used in a targeted manner and only in severe cases.
In addition, a rethink in industrial livestock farming is called for. This would also involve a more cautious and overall reduced consumption of animal products. Farmers are encouraged to only give antibiotics if there are existing findings and if they are prescribed. They should refrain from using antibiotics to promote growth. Incidentally, this has long been mandatory in organic livestock farming.
In addition, some safety measures are recommended to contain the spread of resistant pathogens:
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Careful hygiene should prevent germs from spreading. The most important thing is to wash your hands regularly and carefully, especially after visiting places with a high number of pathogens, such as hospitals and care facilities.
- Doctors should not prescribe antibiotics to their patients for less serious illnesses or viral diseases. In the case of life-threatening or life-threatening infections, the reliability of taking the medication also comes into play. Patients should follow the prescribed instructions exactly and not simply reuse antibiotics that were prescribed earlier.
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Get vaccinated. Although there are not many vaccinations against bacterial infections, by avoiding a viral infection you can prevent unnecessary use of antibiotics.
Read more on Techzle\.com:
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Edited by Denise Schmucker
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