Scientists warn a new pandemic is taking shape as public trust in data and science wanes, making it challenging to respond effectively to looming threats.

What's happening?

Frontiers, a global leader in science publishing, opened its doors to leaders in Davos, Switzerland, in January to champion solutions that promote healthy lives and a healthy planet. 

At one of its sessions, Vanina Laurent-Ledru, chief public health and government affairs officer of Institut Mérieux and bioMérieux, spoke about the next pandemic, which scientists fear could kill more people than cancer by 2050: antimicrobial resistance, or AMR. 

Alarmingly, Ledru said, "No one is speaking about it." 

Adèle James, co-founder and chief technology officer of biotech firm Phagos, echoed those sentiments, referring to AMR as "a silent pandemic."

Why is AMR concerning?

As Jeff Goldblum's character famously said in Jurassic Park, "Life finds a way." According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that's essentially what's happening with AMR. 

"To survive, germs can develop defense strategies against antibiotics and antifungals," the agency wrote. (Unlike bacteria, viruses are technically considered non-living, but they fall under the AMR umbrella.) These germs can then share their defense mechanisms with germs that haven't encountered antibiotics or antifungals. 

This is a serious problem because modern medicine relies heavily on these treatments for life-saving procedures and to heal what would otherwise be deadly infections. Antibiotics alone are believed to have expanded the average human lifespan by over two decades. 

"Experts at Davos said the threat is clear — but worry that without urgent attention, the world may once again wait too long to act," Newsweek reported in its coverage of the Frontiers Science House. 

What's being done about this? 

Germs can receive an unintentional helping hand from humans in their fight for survival. 

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Studies suggest microplastics and air pollution are playing a role. As the CDC and World Health Organization have documented, the misuse and overuse of antibiotics are accelerating germ evolution. For example, antibiotics are effective against certain bacterial infections. Yet they are powerless against viral infections such as colds, the flu, and most sore throats. 

Still, millions of unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions are issued each year in the United States. CDC researchers discovered that around one-third of the prescriptions are unneeded. 

Several speakers at Davos discussed the emergence of promising adaptive treatments, such as phage-based medicines. Yet they also emphasized the need to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use and to promote behaviors that support health, including proper hygiene (e.g., hand washing).

"Future mortality will depend on how health systems, policymakers, and societies address the risks now," Frontiers concluded.

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