By Dr. Juri B Kalita
Antimicrobial resistance doesn’t announce its presence. There are no symptoms to watch for, no warning signs that distinguish resistant bacteria from their ordinary cousins. This invisibility makes it particularly insidious.
Right now, most of us are carrying bacteria that have some degree of antibiotic resistance. This isn’t cause for alarm—our bodies host trillions of microorganisms, most of them harmless or even beneficial. The problem arises when we actually need antibiotics to work and discover they no longer do.
These resistant bacteria travel through the most mundane aspects of daily life. A handshake with a colleague. The handrail on public transport. Shared utensils at a community meal. Doorknobs, keyboards, and mobile phones—all serve as vehicles for bacterial transmission. The bacteria don’t discriminate; they simply move from surface to surface, person to person, waiting for an opportunity.
Hospitals, ironically, can be among the riskiest places for acquiring resistant infections. Healthcare-associated infections affect a significant number of patients, particularly in settings with limited resources. People come to hospitals seeking treatment and may leave carrying bacteria that resist multiple drugs. It’s a troubling paradox at the heart of modern healthcare.
The mechanism of spread is straightforward: when someone carries resistant bacteria and doesn’t practice good hygiene, those bacteria transfer to others. If the recipient then takes antibiotics for an unrelated infection, the resistant bacteria survive while others die off—giving them an advantage. Over time, resistant strains become more common in the population.
In Meghalaya and across Northeast India, where community ties are strong and social interactions frequent, this presents particular challenges. Joint families, community gatherings, and shared meals—the very fabric of our social life—create more opportunities for transmission.
The encouraging news is that prevention is remarkably straightforward. Proper handwashing with soap and water remains the single most effective method of preventing infection spread. Not a cursory rinse, but a thorough 20-second wash, particularly before eating, after using the toilet, and after coughing or sneezing.
Other sensible measures include keeping vaccinations current. Vaccines prevent infections, which means fewer instances where antibiotics become necessary. Safe food handling practices matter too—ensuring meat is properly cooked, keeping raw and cooked foods separate, washing fruits and vegetables thoroughly.
For healthcare workers, the responsibility is even greater. Strict adherence to infection control protocols, proper sterilisation of equipment, and appropriate use of personal protective equipment all help contain the spread of resistant bacteria within medical facilities.
The point isn’t to become obsessive about germs. We’ve lived alongside bacteria for millennia, and most of that relationship has been benign or mutually beneficial. Rather, it’s about being thoughtful—recognising that in our interconnected world, the health choices we make as individuals ripple outward to affect our families, our communities, and ultimately the effectiveness of medicines we all depend upon.
Resistant bacteria may be invisible, but our response to them need not be. Awareness, combined with consistent hygiene practices, remains our most reliable defence.
(The writers is a Consultant Microbiologist & Infection Control Officer, Bethany Hospital, Shillong)
