India, March 26 -- The growing threat of antimicrobial resistance has taken a serious turn in Africa with a steady rise in resistance to colistin, one of the last resort antibiotics used when all other treatments fail, according to a new study.

The study focused on two high-priority pathogens, Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, both of which are known to cause severe hospital-acquired infections and are already resistant to multiple antibiotics. These bacteria are already resistant to multiple antibiotics and are classified as critical threats by the World Health Organization. Due to limited treatment options, colistin has been increasingly reused despite its known toxicity.

Colistin, also known as polymyxin E, is a las...