Epidemiological aspects of antimicrobial drug resistance

Micro-organisms resistant to antimicrobial drugs are a problem for health workers worldwide. As scientists discover newer and more effective agents to manage emerging therapeutic challenges, the micro-organisms develop novel mechanisms of resistance hitherto unknown. The challenge in the present day is to understand the mechanisms of resistance in micro-organisms with a view to avoiding the emergence of resistance. For those in developing countries where health budgets are meagre and the cost of newer drugs ever increasing, there is need to develop effective policies to use the existing therapeutic choices in the most appropriate manner. This article highlights various epidemiological aspects of antimicrobial drug resistance in bacteria of medical importance that would be useful in the understanding of the basis for emergence and dissemination of resistance.