page_title: Antimicrobial resistance
section_title: Prevention
hierarchical_section_title: Antimicrobial resistance / Prevention
caption_attribution_description: English: Mission Critical: Preventing Antibiotic Resistance
context_page_description: Antimicrobial resistance is the ability of a pathogenic microbe to develop a resistance to the effects of an antimicrobial medication. The term antibiotic resistance is a subset of AMR, as it applies to bacteria that become resistant to antibiotics. Resistant microbes are more difficult to treat, requiring higher doses, or alternative medications which may prove more toxic. These approaches may also be more expensive. Microbes resistant to multiple antimicrobials are called multidrug resistant.
  All classes of microbes can develop resistance. Fungi develop antifungal resistance. Viruses develop antiviral resistance. Protozoa develop antiprotozoal resistance, and bacteria develop antibiotic resistance. Those bacteria that are considered extensively drug resistant or totally drug-resistant are sometimes called "superbugs". Resistance in bacteria can arise naturally, by genetic mutation, or by one species acquiring resistance from another. Resistance can appear spontaneously because of random mutations. However, extended use of antimicrobials appears to encourage selection for mutations which can render antimicrobials ineffective.
context_section_description: There have been increasing public calls for global collective action to address the threat, including a proposal for international treaty on antimicrobial resistance. Further detail and attention is still needed in order to recognize and measure trends in resistance on the international level; the idea of a global tracking system has been suggested but implementation has yet to occur. A system of this nature would provide insight to areas of high resistance as well as information necessary for evaluating programs and other changes made to fight or reverse antibiotic resistance.
caption: Mission Critical: Preventing Antibiotic Resistance (CDC report, 2014)
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