WHO Publishes List Of Pathogen Threats To Rouse Drug Developers

The World Health Organisation has released a list of 12 bacteria it says pose the greatest threat to human health as a way of urging governments and the drug development industry to incentivize and launch an R&D response against the increasing global issue of antibiotic resistance.

Antibiotic resistant bacteria closeup biofilm — WHO lists pathogens that are the greatest threats to humanity • Source: Shutterstock

The World Health Organisation has highlighted 12 families of bacteria, the majority of which have become resistant to available antibiotic treatments, on a newly established watch list of critical threats – similar concerns as those raised by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in a 2013 report on the top 18 drug-resistant threats.

The WHO's list highlights in particular the threat of gram-negative bacteria that are resistant to multiple antibiotics. "This list is...