Drug-resistant superbugs spreading, says WHO
PRINT ALL READINGS (PDF)Superbugs - Level 0
The WHO warned about an increase in superbugs that drugs cannot kill. One in six of bugs tested by researchers was drug-resistant. Many of the drugs have been saving lives for many years. Cuts and infections could kill us in the future because drugs will not kill the bacteria. The WHO said our lives are "at risk".
The WHO looked at data from 100 countries. Drug resistance is highest in Southeast Asia. There, 1 in 3 infections was resistant. Bugs are becoming drug-resistant faster than we can make new drugs. Drug resistance has increased a lot since 2018. Not enough testing is being done to create better drugs.
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Superbugs - Level 1
The WHO has warned about an increase in superbugs that are resistant to drugs. Many of the drugs have been saving lives for many years. One in six of bugs tested by researchers was drug-resistant. Drugs did not kill the bacteria. This will be a danger to our health. Cuts and infections could kill us in the future because the antibiotics will not kill the bacteria. The WHO said: "As antibiotic resistance continues to rise…we're putting lives at risk."
A large WHO study looked at data from 100 countries. Drug resistance is highest in Southeast Asia. There, 1 in 3 reported infections was resistant. In Africa, the number is 1 in 5. Bugs are becoming drug-resistant faster than we can make new drugs. Between 2018 and 2023, drug resistance increased in over 40 per cent of the bacteria tested in labs. Not enough testing is being done to create better drugs.
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Superbugs - Level 2
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The WHO has warned about the spread of superbugs that are resistant to drugs. Researchers tested many bugs in laboratories. One in six of the bugs they tested was drug-resistant. The drugs did not kill the bacteria. Many of the drugs have been saving lives for many years. Drug-resistant bugs will bring new risks to our health. Cuts and infections could be deadly in the future because the antibiotics will not kill harmful bacteria. The WHO said the research was "concerning". It added: "As antibiotic resistance continues to rise…we're putting lives at risk."
The WHO conducted a large study. It looked at data from over 100 countries. Drug resistance is highest in Southeast Asia. There, 1 in 3 reported infections was resistant. In Africa, 1 in 5 infections was resistant. Bugs are becoming drug-resistant faster than researchers can make new drugs. More bugs are becoming resistant to modern medicines. Between 2018 and 2023, drug resistance increased in over 40 per cent of the bacteria tested in labs. Another worry is that not enough testing is being done to create better drugs. The WHO said this will be a big "future threat".
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Superbugs - Level 3
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned about the spread of superbugs that are resistant to drugs. The WHO said researchers tested many bugs in laboratories. The researchers said 1 in 6 (around 17 per cent) of the bugs they tested was drug-resistant. The antibiotics did not kill the bacteria. Many of the drugs have been life-saving for many years. This could bring new risks to our health. Cuts and common infections could be deadly in the future because the antibiotics will no longer kill bacteria. The WHO said: "These findings are deeply concerning." It added: "As antibiotic resistance continues to rise…we're putting lives at risk."
The WHO conducted a large study on superbugs. It looked at data from over 100 countries. Drug resistance is highest in Southeast Asian and Eastern Mediterranean countries. There, 1 in 3 reported infections was resistant. In Africa, 1 in 5 infections was resistant. The study found that bugs were becoming drug-resistant faster than researchers could create new drugs. More and more bugs are becoming resistant to modern medicines. The WHO said between 2018 and 2023, drug resistance increased in over 40 per cent of the bacteria it tested. An additional worry is that there is not enough testing being done to create new, effective drugs. The WHO said this will be a big "future threat".
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