Key Update

India is experiencing a major surge in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) or superbug explosion, with 83% of patients entering hospitals already carrying drug-resistant bacteria. A global study led by AIG Hospitals, Hyderabad, and published in The Lancet, warns that India has reached a critical point where routine infections are becoming harder to treat.

What’s Driving the Crisis

Widespread misuse of antibiotics is accelerating resistance. Easy over-the-counter access, self-medication, and heavy antibiotic use in dairy, poultry and farming allow microbes to adapt and survive. People with chronic illnesses or frequent antibiotic exposure are especially vulnerable.

The study analysed 1,200 patients across India, Italy, the USA and the Netherlands. India recorded the highest prevalence of resistant bacteria (83%), far higher than Italy (31.5%), the USA (20%) and the Netherlands (10.8%). The bacteria were identified during ERCP procedures using sterilised duodenoscopes, but some highly resistant microbes persisted on the instruments.

Infections Taking Longer and Costing More

Drug-resistant infections now take significantly longer to treat and often require stronger, more toxic medicines. Treatment costs increase sharply as patients need ICU care and extended hospital stays. A patient without resistant bacteria recovered in three days at a cost of around ₹70,000, while a patient with resistant organisms required over 15 days of care and incurred expenses of ₹4–5 lakh.

The study found that resistant bacteria have spread into the general community. Even healthy people in their 30s and 40s are carrying these organisms, many without any hospital exposure. These bacteria can enter the bloodstream, causing sepsis and spreading easily to vulnerable patients. Evidence from the Netherlands shows that better hygiene and lifestyle changes can reduce resistance levels. Indian doctors are now considering screening patients for drug-resistant bacteria before procedures like ERCP to prevent transmission.

Immediate Policy Action Needed

Experts say India can reverse AMR trends within five years if it strengthens antibiotic-control policies, restricts unnecessary sales, and enforces responsible antibiotic use across healthcare and agriculture. Without urgent action, resistance levels could reach 98% in the community by 2035. They recommend tighter pharmacy regulations, stronger pharmacovigilance, national antibiotic-stewardship campaigns, and a One Health approach linking human, animal and environmental health to curb the spread.

Source: The Times of India