Amid growing concern worldwide over antibiotic resistance, a research team said Thursday that more than 8,000 people nationwide are estimated to have died due to two major drug-resistant bacteria in 2017.
The first such survey conducted on a national level revealed the serious impact of the bacteria, which are feared to be spreading fast as a result of the overuse of antibiotics on people and animals, and underscored the need for Japan to use the drugs more appropriately, the team said.
The team at the Center Hospital of the National Center for Global Health and Medicine collected data on patients with bacteremia caused by two commonly detected antibiotic-resistant bacteria — Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) and fluoroquinolone-resistant salmonella.