The World Health Organization (WHO) released its updated Bacterial Priority Pathogens List (BPPL) 2024, featuring 15 families of antibiotic-resistant bacteria grouped into critical, high and medium categories for prioritization. The list provides guidance on the development of new and necessary treatments to stop the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
The critical priority pathogens, such as gram-negative bacteria resistant to last-resort antibiotics and Mycobacterium tuberculosis resistant to the antibiotic rifampicin, pose the greatest global public health threats. These bacteria not only have the ability to rapidly adapt to medical treatments but can also transfer resistance genes to other bacteria, further exacerbating the spread of AMR.
High priority pathogens, such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, present significant public health challenges because they result in persistent infections and multidrug resistance.
Take MRSA as an example. This resistant bacterium, primarily driven by antibiotic misuse, has become one of the leading causes of hospital-acquired infections, exhibiting resistance to multiple antibiotics. Research has shown that the 30-day mortality rate for patients infected with MRSA is 34%, compared to 27% for those infected with MSSA (Methicillin-susceptible (non-MRSA) Staphylococcus aureus).
The WHO points out that the spread of bacterial resistance is largely driven by misuse and overuse of antimicrobial agents. Hospital-acquired infections caused by resistant bacteria are often more difficult to control, significantly increasing treatment costs and patient mortality rates. The “WHO bacterial priority pathogens list, 2024 ” highlights the urgent need for comprehensive public health strategies, including high-quality, affordable infection prevention, diagnostics, and treatment measures, to address this issue.
Drug-resistant bacteria pose a severe threat to human health, making the development of safe, effective, and low-cost antibacterial technologies for clinical use an urgent priority.
The research team at Sharklet Technologies has conducted extensive foundational studies to combat the harm caused by resistant bacteria. Sharklet’s antimicrobial technology, which uses micron-scale physical surface patterns to prevent bacterial attachment, reproduction, and transmission, has a “natural advantage” in controlling infections from resistant bacteria. Unlike chemical methods, this approach does not trigger the development of new resistant strains. Sharklet’s physical patterns are highly effective against resistant and pathogenic bacteria (including spores, which are the dormant and highly resistant forms of bacteria) while remaining safe for humans.
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Sharklet’s scientific achievements have been published in numerous academic papers. One notable study, titled “Surface Micropattern Limits Bacterial Contamination” , specifically validated the efficacy of Sharklet patterns against resistant bacteria.
The study focused on MRSA as a representative resistant bacterium in hospital settings, comparing the Sharklet surface to conventional surfaces. Results demonstrated that Sharklet surfaces significantly reduced the number of resistant bacteria compared to conventional surfaces. Sharklet reduced MRSA attachment by 98% and MSSA attachment by 99%. These findings further confirm Sharklet’s consistent antibacterial efficacy against both resistant and common bacteria.
Building on its research in physical antibacterial technology, Sharklet Technologies has garnered attention from PBS, which conducted an in-depth feature on the company. The report highlighted Sharklet’s significant impact in reducing bacterial infections in medical environments, showcasing this innovative technology as an effective solution to reduce the spread of pathogenic bacteria. Sharklet is paving the way for safer healthcare environments and offering a groundbreaking approach to combat the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance.
The WHO BPPL 2024 includes the following bacteria:
Critical priority:
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Acinetobacter baumannii, carbapenem-resistant;
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Enterobacterales, third-generation cephalosporin-resistant; and
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Enterobacterales, carbapenem-resistant;
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Mycobacterium tuberculosis, rifampicin-resistant (included after an independent analysis with parallel tailored criteria, and subsequent application of an adapted multi-criteria decision analysis matrix).
High priority:
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Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant
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Salmonella Typhi, fluoroquinolone-resistant
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Shigella spp., fluoroquinolone-resistant
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Enterococcus faecium, vancomycin-resistant
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Pseudomonas aeruginosa, carbapenem-resistant
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Non-typhoidal Salmonella, fluoroquinolone-resistant
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Neisseria gonorrhoeae, third-generation cephalosporin- and/or fluoroquinolone-resistant
Medium priority:
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Group A streptococci, macrolide-resistant
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Streptococcus pneumoniae, macrolide-resistant
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Haemophilus influenzae, ampicillin-resistant
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Group B streptococci, penicillin-resistant