"Deaths Rising Rapidly"... Surge in 'Super Bacteria' Resistant to All Antibiotics

Antibiotic Misuse and Overuse Identified as Main Causes

As bacterial infections resistant to antibiotics, known as 'superbugs' or 'super bacteria,' surge, the number of patients dying from these infections is also increasing.

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At the policy forum held on the 16th at the National Assembly titled 'Policy Discussion for Establishing an Effective Integrated Response System to Antibiotic Multidrug-Resistant Urinary Tract Infections,' Professor Bae Seong-rak of the Department of Urology at Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital pointed out that this situation is caused by the indiscriminate use and misuse of antibiotics. Professor Bae expressed concern, stating, "The amount of antibiotic use ranks 8th among OECD member countries."

The problematic bacteria referred to as 'super bacteria' belong to the carbapenem class and are carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), which are intestinal bacteria that antibiotics do not effectively treat. CRE infections are infectious diseases caused by bacteria resistant to carbapenem antibiotics, which are mainly used to treat severe infections or multidrug-resistant bacterial infections.

The medical community reported that the number of reported CRE infection cases increased from 5,717 in 2017 to 38,405 in 2023, a 5.3-fold increase over five years. In the first half of last year alone, 25,533 cases were reported. The number of deaths rose from 37 to 633 over five years, a 17.1-fold increase. In the first half of last year (January to June), 439 people died.

Carbapenem antibiotics are considered the last available antibiotics currently in use. If these drugs are ineffective, it means 'there are no drugs left to use.' The problem is the indiscriminate use of antibiotics, especially in patients with urinary tract infections and pyelonephritis. Urinary tract infections are experienced at least once in a lifetime by about 50% of women and about 10% of men. Due to anatomical structure, women are more vulnerable to urinary tract infections, with about 25% of patients experiencing recurrence, and recurrent urinary tract infections occurring three or more times annually are common. More than 5 million people in South Korea receive treatment for urinary tract infections annually, and antibiotics are essential for treatment.

Sepsis is a disease in which antibiotic-resistant bacteria invade the bloodstream and cause systemic infection symptoms. The highest sepsis mortality rate per 100,000 population is in Jeonbuk (33.4 deaths), followed by Jeonnam (28.5 deaths). Lim Dong-hoon, president of the Korean Society for Urogenital Infections and Inflammations (and professor of urology at Chosun University), said, "It is presumed that the high proportion of elderly population in Jeonbuk and Jeonnam is the cause."

Additionally, Professor Bae cited warnings from the World Health Organization (WHO). Predicting the leading causes of death worldwide in 2050, cancer deaths are expected to reach 8.2 million, while deaths from antibiotic-resistant bacteria are projected to be 10 million. Professor Bae urged, "It is necessary to increase the domestic budget for managing antibiotic resistance and to prepare countermeasures reflecting clinical field opinions."