Critical Priority Pathogens

Source-This post on Critical Priority Pathogens has been created based on the article “Critical priority pathogens continue to pose threat: WHO” published in “The Hindu” on 20th May 2024.

Why in the news?

The latest Bacterial Pathogens Priority List (BPPL) updated by the World Health Organization (WHO) notes that critical priority pathogens pose major global threats because of their high burden and their ability to resist treatment and spread resistance to other bacteria.

About Critical Priority Pathogens

1. About Critical Priority Pathogens: They are bacteria that pose significant global health threats because they can resist current treatments and spread their resistance to other bacteria.

 2. World Health Organization’s Updated List: The WHO has updated its Bacterial Pathogens Priority List (BPPL).  It includes 15 families of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

These are categorized into critical, high, and medium priority groups to help prioritize responses.

3. High Burden in Specific Regions: The list highlights that certain high-priority pathogens like Salmonella and Shigella carry a particularly high burden in low- and middle-income countries. These pathogens pose major challenges in healthcare settings.

4. Resistance to Antibiotics: These pathogens include gram-negative bacteria that are resistant to last-resort antibiotics and Mycobacterium tuberculosis that is resistant to Rifampicin which is a key antibiotic.

5. Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR): AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites no longer respond to medicines. This makes infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness, and death. The misuse and overuse of antimicrobials are significant drivers of AMR.

6. Challenges associated with Critical Priority Pathogens: Pathogens like antibiotic-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Enterococcus faecium are known for causing persistent infections and showing resistance to multiple antibiotics. This necessitates targeted research and public health interventions.

About WHO Bacterial Priority Pathogens List

1. The 2024 WHO Bacterial Priority Pathogens List (WHO BPPL) serves as an essential resource in the worldwide battle against antimicrobial resistance.

2. This version updates the 2017 edition and enhances the ranking of antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens to meet the changing threats posed by antibiotic resistance.

UPSC Syllabus: Science and technology (Health)