Antimicrobial resistance
Antimicrobial resistance
(AMR) threatens the effective prevention and treatment of an ever-increasing
range of infections caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi.
AMR occurs when
bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond
to medicines making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of
disease spread, severe illness and death. As a result, the medicines become
ineffective and infections persist in the body, increasing the risk of spread
to others.
Antimicrobials - including antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals and antiparasitics - are medicines used to prevent and treat infections in humans, animals and plants. Microorganisms that develop antimicrobial resistance are sometimes referred to as “superbugs”.