Scientific Research and Essays

  • Abbreviation: Sci. Res. Essays
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1992-2248
  • DOI: 10.5897/SRE
  • Start Year: 2006
  • Published Articles: 2768

Review

Issues of resistance of pathogens to antimicrobial agents

Adegboye M. F1, Babalola O. O1* and Akinpelu D. A2
1Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Science and Technology, North-West University, South Africa. 2Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
Email: [email protected]

  •  Accepted: 07 June 2012
  •  Published: 27 October 2012

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance among pathogenic organisms is now a persistent problem and of tremendous public health care concern around the globe. These pathogens are able to develop mechanisms of resistance, the antimicrobial agents that were at one time the drug of choice. They continue to develop various mechanisms of resistance either by intrinsic or acquired, and have been able to transfer and accept different resistance genes, given rise to multi-drugs resistance bacteria called superbugs. This new phenomenon has caused an increase in the incidence of nosocomial infections making the treatment problematic for the health care providers. Resistance to antimicrobial agents is fast becoming a norm and is an enormous challenge worldwide.

 

Key words: Antimicrobial resistance, antimicrobial agent, pathogen, mechanism, superbug.