(ANSA) - ROME, NOV 14 - Up to 90% of corneal infections are caused by bacteria that do not respond to antibiotic treatment.
This is mainly due to the inappropriate use of antimicrobial drugs;
the phenomenon is further aggravated by pollution and climate change.
This is the alarm launched in view of the European Day of Antibiotics, which occurs on November 18, by the Italian Society of Ophthalmological Sciences (Siso).
The phenomenon of antibiotic resistance in eye infections is also increasing in the ophthalmology field.
Staphylococcus, Streptococcus and Pseudomonas Aeruginosa are among the superbacteria with the highest levels of resistance identified in the ophthalmological field.
"These pathogens are of great interest to corneal infections, which record the highest resistance to antibiotics with 9 out of 10 cases insensitive to therapy", explains Vincenzo Sarnicola, member of the Sito board of directors.
On the bench especially the excessive use of antibiotic eye drops against conjunctivitis.
"Do-it-yourself use of antibiotics is a serious mistake", warns Scipione Rossi, director of Ophthalmology at the San Carlo di Nancy hospital in Rome and Siso's secretary treasurer.
"Most conjunctivitis is in fact of viral origin and antibiotics are ineffective. But antibiotic resistance in ocular infections is also the bill for the too many prescriptions of antibiotics by the general practitioner or pharmacist and for the prophylactic use before and postoperative ", adds Rossi.
The situation is aggravated by climate change and pollution: "due to the erosion of the ozone hole, there is a risk of
concludes the expert.
(HANDLE).
concludes the expert.
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