With Antibiotic Resistance on the Rise, WHO Identifies Priority Superbugs

​Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, and certain Enterobacteriaceae (including Klebsiella, E. coli, Serratia, and Proteus) are among the pathogens most critically requiring new antibiotics in light of increasing resistance, according to a priority list released by the World Health Organization (WHO). In a press release, Marie-Paule Kieny, PhD, WHO's Assistant Director-General for Health Systems and Innovation, states that the list is intended to "ensure research and development responds to urgent public health needs." The highest priority pathogens are those that pose a particular threat to hospital and nursing home patients, especially those who require ventilators or catheters, and have already shown resistance to even third-generation cephalosporins.