Bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics are linked to millions of deaths a year – a number set to grow dramatically. From hospital wards to farms, resistance is being driven by how, and how often, we use antibiotics. Dr Sam Willcocks, director of the Antimicrobial Innovations Centre at Brunel University London, answers key questions about the issue, and points to some simple solutions.

What are superbugs and where are you likely to encounter them?

“Superbug” is the term used for bacteria that have become resistant to multiple antibiotics at once, and there are now many such bacteria found worldwide.

To help focus research and public health efforts, the World Health Organization keeps a list of the drug-resistant bacteria it finds most concerning. These include several species resistant to carbapenems – often considered “antibiotics of last resort” – as well as MRSA (a well-known resistant form of the bacteria that causes staph infections) and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.

Many of these so-called “priority pathogens” are associated with hospital-acquired infections, where sick patients, invasive procedures and heavy antibiotic use all make it easier for resistance to take hold and spread. Others, such as drug-resistant tuberculosis, are widespread around the world – and not just in hospitals.

How many people are dying from these infections?

In 2024, a major study in the medical journal, The Lancet, researchers looked at 30 years of data on drug-resistant infections worldwide. They found that around 4.7 million deaths a year are linked to bacteria that have become resistant to the antibiotics we normally use to kill them. If nothing changes, the researchers predict superbug-associated deaths could rise to more than 8 million a year by 2050.

Is antibiotic drug development an unwinnable arms race?

Yes, but we can make it as difficult as possible.

It is certainly true that bacteria are highly adept at evolving resistance to new antibiotics, especially if they are similar to compounds they have already seen before. This is why research scientists are putting their efforts into finding new classes of antibiotics, or using combinations of drugs........

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