From Fox News: As “superbugs” continue to surge, the World Health Organization is now warning that one in every six bacterial infections are resistant to antibiotics.
WHO also called for antibiotic medications to be used more responsibly, according to a press release published by the agency on Monday.
Based on data from more than 100 countries between 2016 and 2023, the health agency determined that resistance to antibiotics rose in approximately 40% of infection samples.
The report includes eight common bacterial pathogens: Acinetobacter spp., Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, non-typhoidal Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae.
In a press release, WHO warns that resistance is growing against 22 antibiotics used to treat infections of the urinary and gastrointestinal tracts, the bloodstream and those used to treat gonorrhoea.
Below is a critical excerpt from the press release:
The new report notes that drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria are becoming more dangerous worldwide, with the greatest burden falling on countries least equipped to respond. Among these, E. coli and K. pneumoniae are the leading drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria found in bloodstream infections.
These are among the most severe bacterial infections that often result in sepsis, organ failure, and death. Yet more than 40% of E. coli and over 55% of K. pneumoniae globally are now resistant to third-generation cephalosporins, the first-choice treatment for these infections. In the African Region, resistance even exceeds 70%.
Other essential life-saving antibiotics, including carbapenems and fluoroquinolones, are losing effectiveness against E. coli, K. pneumoniae, Salmonella, and Acinetobacter. Carbapenem resistance, once rare, is becoming more frequent, narrowing treatment options and forcing reliance on last-resort antibiotics. And such antibiotics are costly, difficult to access, and often unavailable in low- and middle-income countries.
New WHO report finds 1 in 6 bacterial infections were resistant to antibiotic treatments.
Data from over 100 countries warns that rising resistance to essential antibiotics poses a growing threat to global health.
Read more 👉https://t.co/uCVllyB15S pic.twitter.com/P54fDyCU6G
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) October 14, 2025
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