Nigerian babies born with antibiotic resistance – Report

A recent study by Gavi found that newborn babies in Nigeria are born with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, specifically colistin-resistant bacteria, in their systems.

Gavi, a vaccine alliance, made this known in a post on X, Sunday.

The organisation stated that colistin is one of the last remaining effective antibiotics used to treat life-threatening infections like pneumonia.

Study

According to them, the study, conducted between 2015 and 2017, collected samples from 4,907 newborn babies and their mothers in three hospitals in Kano and Abuja.

It said the results showed that one per cent of the samples had genes conferring colistin resistance across 41 mothers and eight babies, adding that while the percentage may seem low, it is alarming that any babies were carrying colistin-resistant bacteria within their first week of life.

The health body said colistin is rarely used in hospitals and clinics in Nigeria, suggesting that the resistance may have emerged from the increasing use of colistin in agricultural settings in the country.

This is a common practice globally, where antibiotics are used in large quantities to grow crops and in animal feeds to treat and reduce the risk of infection in livestock.

Antimicrobial resistance

Citing the World Health Organisation (WHO), the organisation said antimicrobial resistance is one of the top global public health and development threats, stating that the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in human medicine and agriculture have accelerated this crisis, with sub-Saharan Africa bearing the brunt of the consequences.

It further said Nigeria, has one of the highest rates of deaths associated with antimicrobial resistance, including sepsis, with 23.5 deaths per 100,000 people.

It also said sepsis is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the immune system has an extreme response to an infection, and antibiotics are the main treatment.

The study’s findings raise concerns about the long-term effects of antibiotic resistance on newborn babies, adding that if these colistin-resistant bacteria stay in the mothers or babies, it may increase their chances of acquiring future drug-resistant infections.

Contributing factor to antibiotic resistance

According to the study, the global use of antibiotics in agriculture is a significant contributor to the growing resistance.

In 2016, mobile colistin genes were discovered in E. coli bacteria from a pig farm in China, leading to a total ban on colistin’s agricultural use in China.

It, however, said European countries continue to export livestock feeds containing colistin to low- and middle-income countries like Nigeria, perpetuating the cycle of resistance.

Additionally, they called on the need for urgent actions for a global ban on the indiscriminate agricultural use of colistin is necessary to preserve this crucial antibiotic for when it is urgently required.

It said it must, however, be balanced with alternative solutions to maintain food production and support farmers’ livelihoods.

The health body also said as the world’s population is set to increase by about 2 billion by 2050, demand for affordable meat will only rise.

Advising Investing in hospital infection prevention and control programmes, improved water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities in farms, and responsible antibiotic use in agriculture are crucial steps towards mitigating this crisis.