USA warns: Subversive bacteria from Ukraine have crossed borders

Bacteria that are resistant to even the most potent antibiotics envelop Ukraine, a country currently grappling with war. The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention warns that drug-resistant infections could spread beyond Ukraine's borders.

Ukrainian hospitals are grappling with a sharp increase in the number of drug-resistant infections, as reported by the British newspaper, "Daily Mail", citing the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to researchers, these drug-resistant infections constitute an "urgent crisis" in Ukraine and are "spreading to Europe".

Scientists have taken samples from hundreds of patients in Ukraine, examining infections that occurred during November and December 2022. They found that about 60 percent of those sampled were infected by bacteria resistant to carbapenems, a group of antibiotics that the CDC classifies as the last line of defense. A pan-European survey conducted in 2016-2017 found only 6.2 percent of samples associated with infections caused by similar bacteria were resistant to carbapenems.

The authors of the study stated: "In Ukraine, the combination of high rates of drug resistance before the outbreak of war, an increase in traumatic injuries, and the strain of war on healthcare facilities, have led to the increased detection of multi-drug resistant organisms spreading into Europe," as quoted by the "Daily Mail".

Since the onset of the war in Ukraine, health services have issued warnings about the growing resistance to antimicrobials. The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control issued an alarm on this matter in March 2022. In response, hospitals were advised to isolate and examine patients in Ukraine to prevent the proliferation of treatment-resistant organisms.

"Ukraine has been identified as a breeding ground for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The rising number of cases isn't surprising given the ongoing war, which is causing injuries and delaying medical treatment," infectious disease doctor Dr. Amesh Adalja from the John Hopkins Health Security Center in Baltimore told the "Daily Mail".

"Similar situations occurred during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan when American soldiers contracted drug-resistant infections. Antimicrobial resistance has been escalating and is a global problem, not specific to Ukraine. It's simply another manifestation of an increasing threat to contemporary medicine," added the specialist.