Clinical Microbiology: Open Access

Abstract

Bringing Phage Biology Out-of-the Shadow and into the Bedside: When will Modern Medicine Use Thisally Virus in the Battle against Superbugs

Andrea P. Borns* and Fella Ahriz

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is a global crisis and a growing challenge that threatens a century of progress in medicine, with alarming levels of antibiotic resistance being reported by countries of all income levels. The spread of AMR organisms results in common diseases becoming untreatable and lifesaving medical procedures riskier to perform. Healthcare-Acquired Infections (HAIs) carry the highest-burden compared to all other infectious diseases including HIV, tuberculosis and influenza. In the lasttwo decades, HAIs in the U.S. increased by 36%, with nearly 2 million patients infected and about 90,000 deaths. With four different categories of infections accounting to 75% of HAIs in the acute-care hospital setting: Surgical-Site Infections (SSIs), CentralLineAssociated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSIs), VentilatorAssociated Pneumonia (VAP) and Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTIs).

Published Date: 2024-08-12; Received Date: 2020-05-26