Warning on Looming Health Crisis: Infectious Disease Specialist
To arrange an interview with Dr Projan, please contact Kylie Park on (02) 8850 8266 or 0439 604 084.Australian Society for Antimicrobials 7th Annual Scientific Meeting: Leading infectious disease experts are warning Australians on the escalating problem of antibiotic resistance. This follows a report which shows that each year in Australia, a significant proportion of the estimated 1,700 deaths associated with Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia are caused by methicillin-resistant strains (MRSA) .
Speaking from the Australian Society for Antimicrobials Scientific Meeting in Sydney, Dr Steven J. Projan, Ph.D., Vice President and Head of Biological Technologies, Wyeth Research said antibiotic resistance is a significant health issue globally. He also emphasised that Australia needs to manage this issue carefully to ensure it does not go the way of the US and other countries where resistance rates are even higher.
"The problem is of growing concern because while the numbers of infections rise and antibiotic resistance increases, our ability to discover and develop new antibiotics has significantly declined, with very few treatments in the pipeline and fewer companies working in the field. In fact, Wyeth is one of the few companies that is investing heavily in research and development in this area, working to discover and develop novel therapies and vaccines," Dr Projan said.
Infections caused by bacteria resistant to antibiotics are associated with increased morbidity, longer hospital stays and higher mortality rates.
The antibacterial market has experienced dramatic changes in the past decade. Despite the abundance of anti-infective agents available to physicians, infectious disease remains one of the leading causes of hospitalisation in the developed world.
In 2000-2001 there were more than 21,800 infections with drug resistant micro-organisms recorded nationally in Australia. This represents an approximate 25 per cent increase in the number of infections since the 1997-1998 period .
"The focus on infections has also increased because now we have resistant infections that are not only acquired in hospital but also in the broader community," Dr Projan said.
1. Collignon P et al. Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia, Australia; Emerg Infect Dis 2005; 11(4): 554-561
2. Hargreaves J & Kok J; Australian hospital morbidity data on antibiotic resistance; Commun Dis Intell 2003; 27 (Suppl) S55-S60
