HHS Plans Fight Against Supergerms

HHS Plans Fight Against Supergerms

WASHINGTON--Overuse and improper use of antibiotics over the past severaldecades have led to a problem with resistant bacteria and microbes. On Jan. 18,the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) unveiled an action plan tocombat the antimicrobial resistance that is leaving humans unprotected againstmutated and new microorganisms.

The discovery of antibiotics in the 1940s was heralded as a miracle cure andlead to a drastic reduction in illness and death from infectious diseases.However, bacteria and other microorganisms have become highly resilient and havemutated by acquiring resistant genes from other microbes, in turn developing aresistance to antimicrobial drugs.

HHS's plan consists of four parts: surveillance, prevention and control,research, and product development. The agency is working with the Centers forDisease Control (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the NationalInstitutes of Health (NIH) to implement the plan.

CDC will oversee surveillance, working with state health departments andother task forces to design a plan to define national, regional, state and localantimicrobial resistances. Additionally, CDC, FDA and the U.S. Department ofAgriculture (USDA) will monitor patterns of antimicrobial drug use in humanmedicine, agriculture and consumer products.

"The application of the 'precautionary principle' is a very foreignconcept to the government," said Katherine DiMatteo, executive director ofthe Organic Trade Association. "It's only once it reaches a public healthcrisis that [the government] reviews the decisions that have been made. It's anarchaic system, given the history of the twentieth century that led to all ofthese new materials, new chemicals and new procedures in the hope of makingeverything safer and better and more productive."

HHS is heading up prevention and control and is planning to launch a nationalpublic education campaign to reduce overuse and misuse of antimicrobial drugs.In addition, CDC is preparing clinical guidelines for health professionals onthe proper use of antimicrobials. FDA is also initiating discussion forassessing the human health impact of antimicrobials used in food-producinganimals.

Research will be led by NIH, which will provide genetic blueprints of variousmicrobes. Hopefully, this will identify new means for diagnosis, treatment andvaccines that can prevent the emergences and spread of resistant pathogens. NIHalso plans to develop clinical studies to test new antimicrobials.

Finally, HHS plans to form an Interagency Antimicrobial Product DevelopmentWorking Group in charge of product development. This group will consult witheconomic consultants to identify incentives that encourage new products thatwill prevent resistance or treat resistant infections. For additionalinformation, visit www.cdc.gov.