antibiotic, became widespread after farmers became dependent on it to control bacterial diseases and aid in the growth of hogs.
Some countries, including Mexico, have banned the use of colistin in pork production. Although controls exist in many countries, there is no effective global monitoring program, and its use continues. As a result, the overuse of colistin in meat production has reduced its effectiveness in combatting human bacterial illnesses.
While millions of lives are saved every year by antibiotics, AMR causes many deaths. Superbugs are on the rise, particularly in Southeast Asia and China, the Eastern Mediterranean, Africa, and Latin America. Other areas are also potentially at risk through the spread of resistant bacteria from travellers.
Canada’ s Health Minister has recognized AMR as a health threat, and the Canadian Medical Association has been pressuring for more judicious use and further controls over antibiotic use. Health Canada has adopted the One Health global approach promoted by the World Health Organization( WHO). The Pan-Canadian Action Plan focuses on monitoring, research, and investment in new drugs, including the tracking and spread of resistant microbials in humans and animals.
What is in the Future?
The WHO suggests that bacteriophages could be effective in combatting the AMR problem. Phages are part of the human microbiome and can attack specific bacteria while not harming beneficial microbes or human cells. Phage treatments are commonly used in Eastern Europe, and although research on phage treatments is ongoing, they are not generally available except for last-stage treatments. However, they are promising for humanity’ s quest to combat lifethreatening bacteria in this era of AMR.( See the WHO link for further information on phages.)
Although we are fortunate to be living in the golden age of antibiotics, different treatments or new antibiotics are needed to effectively combat the new world of AMR.
According to the World Health Organization, antimicrobials combat a variety of micro-organisms including antibiotics against bacteria, antivirals against viruses, antiparasitics against parasites, and antifungals against fungi. This article discusses antimicrobial resistance( AMR) as it relates to antibiotics. AMR occurs when bacteria mutate to develop resistance to the antibiotic, which then no longer has the same effect on the micro-organisms targeted.
Learn more about bacteriophages at bit. ly / who-bacteriophage.
We extend our apologies to Ms McCrae for misspelling her surname in the byline of her“ Cautionary Stance” article on AI( p52) in the winter issue of news & views. SPRING 2026 | 35