LONDON, November 12. /TASS/. A rise in cases of antibiotic resistance in Ukraine poses a threat to Europe and the entire world, said Henry Skinner, CEO of the AMR Action Fund supporting antibiotic development.

"While these infections are already harming and killing patients in Ukraine, their epidemiological ascent poses an escalating threat to European health systems far beyond the front lines and will inevitably spread around the world," he pointed out in an article for the Innovation News Network project.

Skinner referred to a study by researchers from Ukraine’s Sumy State University, which showed that "85% of infections they examined among injured Ukrainian combatants were caused by bacteria that were resistant to multiple types of antibiotics." "The most prevalent pathogen in that study was Acinetobacter baumannii - a difficult-to-treat superbug that the World Health Organization has deemed a critical threat," he noted. According to the WHO, the super bacteria are resistant to a group of antibiotics called carbapenems, which are considered among the most powerful remedies against bacterial infection.

The AMR Action Fund CEO also mentioned Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria, which can cause blood-poisoning and lead to death.

"That’s why investing in antibiotic innovation is not only a health priority but a strategic necessity to enhance Europe’s defence readiness," Skinner concluded.