Multidrug-resistant bacteria

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria are bacteria that are resistant to three or more classes of antimicrobial drugs, making them hard to treat. MDR bacteria have seen an increase in prevalence in recent years and pose serious risks to public health. Previously, MDR bacteria were primarily associated with hospital-acquired infections, but have increasingly become a major cause of community-acquired infections. The spread of MDR bacteria in society has led to increased morbidity, mortality and economic burden. MDR bacteria can be broken into 3 main categories: Gram-positive, Gram-negative, and other (acid-stain). These bacteria employ various adaptations to avoid or mitigate the damage done by antimicrobials. With increased access to modern medicine there has been a sharp increase in the amount of antibiotics consumed. Given the abundant use of antibiotics there has been a considerable increase in the evolution of antimicrobial resistance factors, now outpacing the development of new antibiotics.