Emelda Chukwu, a senior researcher at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), on Monday, raised concerns over the growing high-level resistance to third-generation antibiotics known as cephalosporins.

Ms Chukwu made this known at a media chat organised by NIMR to inform the public on some of its research works in the country.

According to her, the drugs are broad spectrum beta-mactam used to treat severe infections that can not be treated by the first and second generation antibiotics.

She explained that antimicrobial resistance is a situation whereby microorganisms evolve or mutate in a manner that drugs that are originally targeted to kill them become resistant to the drugs.

The researcher said her team is focused on mitigating the emergence and spread of resistance, with particular interest in the One Health approach, which recognises the interconnectedness among humans, animals, and the environment.

She said the team conducted a survey using four healthcare facilities as sentinel sites to study AMR clinical patterns, especially among already‑sick patients with various infections.

She said the survey revealed a high level of resistance to third-generation cephalosporins.

“AMR is one of the major pressing global health threats and it is even threatening to overturn the gains that have been made over the years with the use of antibiotics for the treatment of numerous infectious diseases that we have.

“Currently, we are having high levels of resistance such that these organisms are no longer responding to these medicines that are supposed to kill them.

“We are now seeing that even the third-generation antibiotics that are our reserve antibiotics are now developing resistance and this is alarming,” she said.

Ms Chukwu attributed human behaviours such as the misuse and abuse of antibiotics as predisposing and major risk factors fueling the rise in AMR.

The researcher also highlighted environmental and wastewater surveillance as an early warning system for detecting pandemic- and epidemic-prone pathogens.

She disclosed that her team created a structured wastewater surveillance system within the ecosystem, serving as an early warning tool that can signal potential epidemic or pandemic outbreaks before they escalate. 

(NAN)