- Course overview
- Search within this course
- How do we study pathogens?
- Public pathogen data
- A guide to the Pathogens Portal
- Analysing genomic data from pathogens
- Identification and investigation of antimicrobial resistance genes
- Looking for antimicrobial resistance genes in different environments
- Data sharing
- The future of AMR
- Crossword: Test your knowledge
- Your feedback
- Further resources
- Help and support
- Glossary
- References
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Pathogens of concern
The bacterial priority pathogens list published by the WHO, outlines the most threatening bacterial pathogens and groups them into 3 tiers depending on their priority: critical, high, or medium.
Among the top of the WHO’s list are a group of pathogens known as the ‘ESKAPE’ organisms:
- Enterococcus faecium (High)
- Staphylococcus aureus (High)
- Klebsiella pneumoniae (Critical)
- Acinetobacter baumannii (Critical)
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa (High)
- Enterobacter spp. (Critical)
ESKAPE organisms are responsible for a significant proportion of antimicrobial resistant infections in clinical settings. These pathogens are particularly well-adapted to the modern healthcare environment, where they thrive and persist. They also possess a wide range of antimicrobial resistance mechanisms, making them especially challenging to treat and control [5].
Other non-bacterial pathogens of concern include the fungus Candida auris which features as a critical pathogen on the WHO’s fungal pathogen priority list, variants of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) which are steadily becoming resistant to antiretroviral drugs, and strains of the malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium falciparum which have developed resistance to nearly all of the current antimalarial drugs available.
These are just a few examples of notable pathogens linked to AMR, however, a vast range of pathogens exist globally, causing a variety of infectious diseases. Below is a list of some of the most burdensome infectious diseases worldwide. Some of these diseases may be familiar to you, while others might be less well-known – have a go at matching each disease with the type of pathogen that causes it. (Hint: There are 3 diseases for each type of pathogen.)
How did you get on? Don’t worry if you didn’t get all the answers right – this activity was just for fun! The burden of pathogens varies widely across different regions, and some are more studied or well-known than others.
Continue on to the next section where you will learn about the different approaches used by researchers to study pathogens.