The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently released a list of bacteria for which new antibiotics are urgently needed. They are hoping for new research and development, especially on multi-drug-resistant gram-negative bacteria. The list is divided into three priority categories:
CRITICAL PRIORITY
- Acinetobacter baumannii (hospital-acquired infection, especially among veterans) – resistant to carbapenem
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa (hospital-acquired infection) – resistant to carbapenem
- Enterobacteriaceae (gastrointestinal disease) – resistant to carbapenem
HIGH Priority
- Enterococcus faecium (hospital-acquired infection) – resistant to vancomycin
- Staphylococcus aureus (hospital-acquired infection) – resistant to methicillin & vancomycin
- Helicobacter pylori (gastritis) – resistant to clarithromycin
- Campylobacter spp. (gastrointestinal disease) – resistant to fluoroquinolone
- Salmonellae (gastrointestinal disease) – resistant to fluoroquinolone
- Neisseria gonorrhoeae (gonorrhea) – resistant to fluoroquinolone & cephalosporin
Medium Priority
- Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumonia, meningitis, conjunctivitis, sinusitis, etc.) – resistant to penicillin
- Haemophilus influenzae (pneumonia, meningitis, conjunctivitis, sinusitis, etc.) – resistant to ampicillin
- Shigella spp. (shigellosis) – resistant to fluoroquinolone
Scientific Gems 