scholarly journals A Global Pandemic Treaty Must Address Antimicrobial Resistance

2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 688-691
Author(s):  
Lindsay A. Wilson ◽  
Susan Rogers Van Katwyk ◽  
Isaac Weldon ◽  
Steven J. Hoffman
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Legal Instrument ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Health Threats

AbstractAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the defining global health threats of our time, but no international legal instrument currently offers the framework and mechanisms needed to address it. Fortunately, the actions needed to address AMR have considerable overlap with the actions needed to confront other pandemic threats.

scholarly journals COVID-19: Vaccine and antimicrobial resistance what are the global implications?

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-53
Author(s):  
Jared Robinson ◽  
Alexandra Leclézio ◽  
Indrajit Banerjee
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Drug Targets ◽  
Wide Spectrum ◽  
Drug Efficacy ◽  
Health It ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Therapeutic Regime ◽  
Substantial Risk ◽  
New Vaccines

Antimicrobial resistance is a worldwide and highly quantified risk to global health and is more prevalent than resistance developed in vaccines as both antimicrobial resistance and vaccine resistance develop in different settings and because of alternate mechanisms. Vaccines act as a preventative measure and allow the immune system to kill any pathogen in the initial phases when the load is relatively low. This circumvents the replication of the pathogen and thus prevents the formation of mutations and furthermore resistance which is attributed to those mutations. Mutations in the target and or binding sites of a said therapeutic regime confer resistance more often in antimicrobials than they do vaccines. The alteration of a vaccines binding site does not confer resistance as a vaccine produces a wide spectrum of antibodies due to multiple epitopes on the said antigen, the remaining antibodies are thus still protective. In antimicrobials however, the drug targets a specific site and is not dynamic and thus if a mutation of the site arises, the drug efficacy is reduced. Although vaccine resistance is less quantified it may also pose a substantial risk to Global health as currently evident with the COVID-19 pandemic. The current global pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has developed a host of mutations which are displaying a degree of resistance and reduced efficacy to the vaccines. This reduced efficacy and resistance of the mutations to current vaccination programmes, poses a risk to global health. It is vital for new vaccines to be synthesized to specifically be active against the variants. It is likely that the synthesis and development of new vaccines to counter new variants as they arise will be an ongoing process. It is evident in future that new vaccines to the mutations in COVID-19 may have to be developed as they are for the seasonal influenzae virus.

Is the Rigidity of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Receptor-Binding Motif the Hallmark for Its Enhanced Infectivity and Pathogenesis?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelo Spinello ◽  
Andrea Saltalamacchia ◽  
Alessandra Magistrato
Keyword(s):  
Health Economic ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Receptor Binding ◽  
Binding Motif ◽  
Spike Glycoprotein ◽  
High Affinity ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Medical Countermeasures ◽  
High Infectivity ◽  
Human Receptor

<p>The latest outbreak of a new pathogenic coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is provoking a global health, economic and societal crisis. All-atom simulations enabled us to uncover the key molecular traits underlying the high affinity of SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein towards its human receptor, providing a rationale to its high infectivity. Harnessing this knowledge can boost developing effective medical countermeasures to fight the current global pandemic.</p>

The Structural Landscape of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease: Hints for Inhibitor Search.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luigi Leonardo Palese
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Binding Site ◽  
Causative Agent ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Substrate Binding Site ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Main Protease ◽  
Crystallographic Structures ◽  
Structural Aspects

In 2019, an outbreak occurred which resulted in a global pandemic. The causative agent of this serious global health threat was a coronavirus similar to the agent of SARS, referred to as SARS-CoV-2. In this work an analysis of the available structures of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease has been performed. From a data set of crystallographic structures the dynamics of the protease has been obtained. Furthermore, a comparative analysis of the structures of SARS-CoV-2 with those of the main protease of the coronavirus responsible of SARS (SARS-CoV) was carried out. The results of these studies suggest that, although main proteases of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 are similar at the backbone level, some plasticity at the substrate binding site can be observed. The consequences of these structural aspects on the search for effective inhibitors of these enzymes are discussed, with a focus on already known compounds. The results obtained show that compounds containing an oxirane ring could be considered as inhibitors of the main protease of SARS-CoV-2.

Recent Review on Subclass B1 Metallo-β-lactamases Inhibitors: Sword for Antimicrobial Resistance

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (7) ◽  
pp. 756-762 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aditi Kaushik ◽  
Manish Kaushik ◽  
Viney Lather ◽  
J.S. Dua
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Multidrug Resistance ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Microbial Pathogens ◽  
Present Review ◽  
Drug Molecules ◽  
Global Threat ◽  
Powerful Strategy

An emerging crisis of antibiotic resistance for microbial pathogens is alarming all the nations, posing a global threat to human health. The production of the metallo-&#946;-lactamase enzyme is the most powerful strategy of bacteria to produce resistance. An efficient way to combat this global health threat is the development of broad/non-specific type of metallo-&#946;-lactamase inhibitors, which can inhibit the different isoforms of the enzyme. Till date, there are no clinically active drugs against metallo- &#946;-lactamase. The lack of efficient drug molecules against MBLs carrying bacteria requires continuous research efforts to overcome the problem of multidrug-resistance bacteria. The present review will discuss the clinically potent molecules against different variants of B1 metallo-&#946;-lactamase.

scholarly journals Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence during Lockdown and the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minna Lyons ◽  
Gayle Brewer
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Female Victims ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Qualitative Thematic Analysis ◽  
Service Disruption

AbstractPrevious studies have demonstrated that there is an increase in Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) during times of crisis (e.g., financial, environmental, or socio-political situations). The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered an unprecedented global health and financial tragedy, but research is yet to establish exactly how the situation may impact on IPV. The present study investigates victims’ experience of IPV during lockdown and the COVID-19 pandemic. We report a qualitative thematic analysis of 50 discussion forum posts written by victims of IPV. Of these, 48 forum posts were written by female victims of male perpetrated violence. All forum posts were obtained from the popular online platform, Reddit. We identified four themes associated with IPV victims’ experiences during lockdown and the global pandemic: (i) Use of COVID-19 by the Abuser, (ii) Service Disruption, (iii) Preparation to Leave, and (iv) Factors Increasing Abuse or Distress. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial impact on those living with IPV, often increasing the severity of IPV experienced. The experiences of those affected by IPV during this period inform interventions and the guidance and support provided to IPV victims during times of crisis.

scholarly journals Towards Solving Health Inequities: A Method to Identify Ideological Operation in Global Health Programs

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 4393
Author(s):  
Hani Kim ◽  
Uros Novakovic
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Health Inequities ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Health Programs ◽  
Slavoj Zizek ◽  
Slavoj Žižek ◽  
Relations Of Power ◽  
Recurrent Nature

The function of ideology is to naturalize and maintain unequal relations of power. Making visible how ideology operates is necessary for solving health inequities grounded in inequities of resources and power. However, discerning ideology is difficult because it operates implicitly. It is not necessarily explicit in one’s stated aims or beliefs. Philosopher Slavoj Žižek conceptualizes ideology as a belief in overarching unity or harmony that obfuscates immanent tension within a system. Drawing from Žižek’s conceptualization of ideology, we identify what may be considered as ‘symptoms’ of ideological practice: (1) the recurrent nature of a problem, and (2) the implicit externalization of the cause. Our aim is to illustrate a method to identify ideological operation in health programs on the basis of its symptoms, using three case studies of persistent global health problems: inequitable access to vaccines, antimicrobial resistance, and health inequities across racialized communities. Our proposed approach for identifying ideology allows one to identify ideological practices that could not be identified by particular ideological contents. It also safeguards us from an illusory search for an emancipatory content. Critiquing ideology in general reveals possibilities that are otherwise kept invisible and unimaginable, and may help us solve recalcitrant problems such as health inequities.

scholarly journals Development of Advanced Textile Finishes Using Nano-Emulsions from Herbal Extracts for Organic Cotton Fabrics

Coatings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 939
Author(s):  
Prabhuraj D. Venkatraman ◽  
Usha Sayed ◽  
Sneha Parte ◽  
Swati Korgaonkar
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Antimicrobial Properties ◽  
Coconut Oil ◽  
Cotton Fabrics ◽  
Batch Processes ◽  
Herbal Extracts ◽  
Organic Cotton ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Nano Emulsion ◽  
Sufficient Strength

The development of textile finishing with improved functional properties has been a growing interest among industry and scientists worldwide. The recent global pandemic also enhanced the awareness amongst many toward improved hygiene and the use of antimicrobial textiles. Generally, natural herbal components are known to possess antimicrobial properties which are green and eco-friendly. This research reports a novel and innovative method of developing and optimising nano-emulsions using two combinations of herbal extracts produced from Moringa oleifera, curry leaf, coconut oil (nano-emulsion 1) and other using Aegle marmelos with curry leaf and coconut oil (nano-emulsion 2). Nano-emulsions were optimised for their pH, thermal stability, and particle size, and percentage add-on. Organic cotton fabrics (20 and 60 gsm) were finished with nano-emulsions using continuous and batch processes and characterised for their surface morphology using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. The finished fabrics were evaluated for their Whiteness Index, assessed for antimicrobial resistance against Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli) using AATCC 100 and 147 methods. In addition, fabrics were assessed for their antifungal efficacy (AATCC 30), tensile strength and air permeability. Results suggested that finished organic fabrics with nano-emulsions had antimicrobial resistance, antifungal, wash fastness after 20 washing cycles, and sufficient strength. This novel finishing method suggests that organic cotton fabrics treated with nano-emulsions can be used as a durable antimicrobial textile for healthcare and hygiene textiles.

scholarly journals Association between antimicrobial usage and resistance in Salmonella from poultry farms in Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdurrahman Hassan Jibril ◽  
Iruka N. Okeke ◽  
Anders Dalsgaard ◽  
John Elmerdahl Olsen
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Outcome ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Human Medicine ◽  
Antimicrobial Use ◽  
Resistance Development ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Antimicrobial Usage ◽  
Poultry Farms ◽  
Reduction Strategies

Abstract Background Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health threat affecting treatment outcome in animals and humans. A pre-requisite for development of AMR reduction strategies is knowledge of antimicrobial use patterns, and how these affect resistance development. The aim of this study was to determine antimicrobial usage (AMU) and whether such usage was associated with AMR in Salmonella from poultry farms in Northwest Nigeria. Results Fifteen (37%) of antimicrobial products observed contained compounds that are of highest priority and critically important for human medicine. Broilers chicken consumed higher (28 ± 14 mg/kg active ingredients) amounts of antimicrobials compared to layers (13 ± 8 mg/kg) per week (p = 0.0009). Surprisingly, chickens raised under backyard system consumed higher amounts of antimicrobials (34 ± 7 mg/kg) than poultry in other systems (p = 0.02). High levels of resistance to tetracycline (58%), sulphonamides (65%), ciprofloxacin (46%) and gentamicin (42%) correlated with high farm level usage of these antimicrobials, and there was a strong correlation (r = 0.9) between farm usage and resistance of isolates to the same antimicrobials (p = 0.03). Conclusion High AMU, including use of highest priority critically important antimicrobials was observed at poultry farms in Northwest Nigeria. AMU correlated with high levels of resistance. Communication of prudent use of antimicrobials to farmers and regulation to obtain reduction in AMU should be a priority.

scholarly journals An Overview on the Ongoing Clinical Trials of COVID-19 Vaccines

2020 ◽  
Vol V (I) ◽  
pp. 39-48
Author(s):  
Syeda Komal Fatima ◽  
Ameena Tur Rasool ◽  
Ayesha Sabir ◽  
Gul Shahnaz
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Adverse Events ◽  
Clinical Efficacy ◽  
Safety Profile ◽  
Clinical Endpoint ◽  
Phase 3 ◽  
Research Reporting ◽  
Development Of Resistance ◽  
Global Pandemic

COVID-19 has posed a great threat to mankind, there is a dire need to introduce a vaccine to combat this global pandemic. Several vaccines are underway to complete their phase 3 clinical trials. This article highlights events surrounding the ongoing clinical trials of vaccines effective against COVID-19, and different procedures and formalities the vaccine will have to endure to get EUA. Clinical trials are discussed stepwise along with the clinical endpoint desired at the end of these trials. In line with antimicrobial resistance, vaccine resistance has also emerged in this era and needs focused consideration, and the probability of development of resistance in these vaccines is discussed. This article specifically covers the latest research reporting clinical efficacy, safety profile, and adverse events following the administration of doses to patients and concerns regarding the rushed approval of vaccines. Four vaccines have been discussed in detail; BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, Sputnik V, ChAdOx1.

Public Health Risk Environment for Bulgarian SMEs (Guest Houses and Family Hotels) in the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 77-102
Author(s):  
Teodora Kiryakova-Dineva ◽  
Ruska Bozhkova
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Health Risk ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Risk Environment ◽  
The South ◽  
Public Health Risk ◽  
The Public ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
The World

At a time of the global health pandemic, the most affected areas are economy and social life. Along with the practical limitations of travel, regarding personal security reasons and the objective risks for the environment, the world of tourism has changed. However, under the circumstances, some small accommodation units have managed to survive, like the Seamen between Scylla and Charybdis – the mythical situation. The purpose of this chapter is to delve into the public health risk environment for Bulgarian SMEs in tourism (guest houses and family hotels) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The extent of the analysis includes hotels and guest houses in the south-western part of Bulgaria that managed to keep operating despite the global pandemic situation.

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