• Antimicrobial resistance: a blunt warning worldwide
  • Melika Ziaoddini,1,* Ahmad Ziaoddini,2 Sara Zamani,3
    1. Pharmaceutical sciences branch, Azad University, Tehran, Iran
    2. University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
    3. 3Department of Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran


  • Introduction: Todays, resistance of bacteria, viruses and other micro-organism to anti-microbial drugs is become a threat. Selective evolutionary pressure, the amount of antibiotic over-use or misuse and genetic mutation lead to antimicrobial resistance during the past century.
  • Methods: We reviewed the papers without time limitation about antimicrobial resistance. Our research involved papers with the relevant keywords: Resistance, Bacteria, drugs, antibiotic, and mutation. The data bases of Science Direct, Medline Scopus and Google Scholar were searched. The title and abstract of the papers were reviewed. Some of the papers that studied antimicrobial resistance were used in this study.
  • Results: Antimicrobial resistance is a treat worldwide: Antibiotics have been one of the wonder discovers of the 20th century. Actinomycets is a family of soil bacteria that has generated most of our antibiotics. In fact, antibiotics are made by bacteria to kill competing microbes. In contrary, Bacteria can easily exchange genetic information in vivo and in vitro. Resistance of bacteria to anti-microbial drugs is called antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Many multi-resistance bacteria have emerged during the past century. AMR is appeared by selective evolutionary pressure, the amount of antibiotic use (over use or misuse) or through random genetic mutations. Unfortunately, AMR increases globally and can reduce or remove the ability to treat infection successfully. As a result, the rate of illness and death would be the same as that seen in untreated infection. Recently, American Centers for Disease Control reported bacterial resistance to treatment with antibiotic therapies as a blunt warning. Solutions have become problems. The mechanisms lead to antimicrobial resistance: One of the mechanisms by which genetic exchange and evolution can occur is horizontal gene transfer. Mutation is the other method that is served by bacteria and caused to variations in genes. The other form of genetic diversity is transformation. Transformation is the uptake of free DNA into a cell from the surrounding environment. Resistance to antibiotics can occur during bacteria transformation. Most topic about AMR in Iran: In 2018, Mirjafari et.al reported the emergence of AMR among enteric pathogens in Iranian population. They recommended a better surveillance system needs for this problem. The other study in H. pylori antibiotic resistance was done. This study recommended that, due to increasing in H. pylori antibiotic resistance, antibiotic therapy should be saved for high risk patients and according to the local antibiotic resistance patterns. In contrary, Yousefi et al declared that H. pylori resistance to some antibiotics such as clarithromycin, tetracycline, furazolidone, and ciprofloxacin was less prevalent in Iranian children. They counseled, frequent consumption of these drugs in children should be controlled. In 2018, Alizade reported that AMR in E. coli is on the rise and the prevalence of AMR of E. coli varies from region to region in Iran.
  • Conclusion: Nowadays, AMR in Iran, as it is elsewhere, is one of the most important health issues. Unfortunately, knowledge of accurate prescription and optimal use of antibiotics for different groups of patients is poor. In fact, AMR has been a most topic for discussion for many years. The widespread use of antibiotics agents leads to the rapid appearance of resistance bacteria. The increasing AMR in Iran, needs a national surveillance system. Regarding to control the AMR within environment, the following solutions can be used: • Adapting policies on AMR control in the environment: • Doing comprehensive nation-wide studies on AMR in the environment; • Equipping water and wastewater treatment systems with modern processes; and • Using successful global experiences in the field of AMR management.
  • Keywords: Resistance, Bacteria, drugs, antibiotic, mutation