Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a pressing global health issue that is jeopardizing the advances made by modern medicine. As per the report of the UN Interagency Coordination Group (IACG) released in 2019, drug resistance infections could cause 10 million deaths each year by 2050 and will damage the economy as…

The antimicrobial agents are used throughout the world across a diverse array of livestock, to protect their health and production. The rise in demand for animal protein is facilitated by intensive farming. Intensive farming involves high inputs such as capital, fertilizers, labor in relation to cultivating area along with medications…

COVID-19 is one of the most common terms used in daily headlines nowadays. Although there have been other global pandemics that infected about a third of the world's population. For instance, the 1918 influenza pandemic lasted over a year and killed more than 50 million people. It seems that the…

The war between antibiotics and bacteria is a billion years old and continuing. From the 1950s to the 1970s, the maximum number of antibiotics got discovered to fight the deadly bugs. Still, humankind witnessed the rise of superbugs – those which are resistant to several antibiotics. The present situation is…

Considering the high demand for animal protein, animal growth promotion, and reduction of risk of disease are highly focused. Hence, a variety of antibiotics are introduced in animal feeds, mostly in pigs as well as in poultry. Animals upon consumption of antibiotics release antibiotic residues and superbugs in the environment…

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by bacteria, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. When the affected part is the lung then it is named pulmonary tuberculosis. India, sharing a larger portion of the world’s TB burden is currently at a critical phase due to increasing drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB).   Ending the TB epidemic…

Escherichia coli (E.Coli) is a bacteria that is commonly found in the gut of humans and animals. The presence of E.Coli in water indicates that the water is contaminated with feces – a common scenario in communities lacking proper sanitation facilities due to various demographic, social, economic, and political reasons.…

Bacterial infections are one of the major threats to the healthcare sector. Moreover, recent incidences of secondary bacterial infections in COVID-19 patients further aggravate the problem. Though infections can be treated with antibiotics, injudicious use of antibiotics may increase the spread and emergence of ABR. In such a scenario, the…

Antibiotics have indeed contributed to the increased life expectancy of humankind. The more worrisome fact is that 50-90% of the consumed antibiotics are discharged out of the human body as such, ending up in the environment. In Sikkim, the water sources are limited. The inhabitants use spring water for daily…