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Resistance to antibiotics has led to one million worldwide deaths each year since 1990, for a total of 36 million.

It is expected to cause more than 39 million more fatalities by 2050 — three per minute.

That’s according to a large study led by the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) Project, a partnership between the University of Oxford and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington.

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After analyzing 520 million health records, the researchers provided future estimates for 22 pathogens, 84 pathogen-drug combinations and 11 infectious syndromes across 204 countries and territories, according to a GRAM press release. 

Findings from the study were published in The Lancet on Monday.

What is antimicrobial resistance?

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria and other types of germs become stronger than the medications given to treat them, creating so-called “superbugs.” 

This can make infections difficult or impossible to treat, per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

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“In modern medicine, the use of antibiotics has allowed us to successfully perform organ transplants, complex surgical procedures and care for extremely preterm infants,” Jasmine Riviere Marcelin, MD, a fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and infectious diseases professor at the University of Nebraska — who was not involved in the study — told Fox News Digital.

“These interventions have been successful because antibiotics have allowed us to prevent and treat infections in these critically ill patients.”

Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria and other types of germs become stronger than the medications given to treat them, creating so-called “superbugs.”  (iStock)

Now, antibiotic-resistant bacteria pose a “significant health risk,” she warned, because they prevent the ability to treat or prevent infections. 

“Not only will our advancements in medicine be at risk, but we may find ourselves back to where we were in the pre-antibiotic era, when mortality from simple skin/soft tissue infections was significant,” Marcelin added.

“We may find ourselves back to where we were in the pre-antibiotic era.”

Maureen Tierney, MD, associate dean of clinical research and public health at Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska, was also not involved in the study, but confirmed that it is “the most comprehensive attempt to determine the burden of antimicrobial resistance [in terms of] disability and death.” 

“This was an enormous effort using all different sources of data in countries around the world to estimate the number of deaths caused by microorganisms resistant to several types of antibiotics,” she told Fox News Digital.

Marking key shifts

Since 1990, the infection that caused the biggest increase was MRSA (methicillin-resistant S. aureus), a type of staph bacteria that has become resistant to some antibiotics. 

Annual MRSA-related deaths increased from 57,200 in 1990 to 130,000 in 2021, the study found.

Despite the overall increase in AMR-related mortality, deaths among kids younger than 5 were cut in half between 1990 and 2021.

Since 1990, the infection that caused the biggest increase was MRSA (methicillin-resistant S. aureus), a type of staph bacteria that has become resistant to some antibiotics. (iStock)

The researchers attributed this to childhood vaccination programs and wider access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene practices.

The sharpest increase was among adults 70 and older, who saw a more than 80% uptick in AMR deaths.

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“Researchers expect these trends to continue in the coming decades, with AMR deaths among children under 5 projected to halve by 2050 globally, as deaths among people 70 years and older more than double,” the press release stated.

Geographically, deaths rose the most in western sub-Saharan Africa, tropical Latin America, high-income North America, Southeast Asia and South Asia.

Combating antimicrobial resistance

Next week, global health leaders plan to meet at the UN General Assembly in New York to discuss new strategies for addressing AMR.

Potential interventions include “infection prevention and control measures, such as new vaccines and antimicrobials, and improved access to water and sanitation — as well as deeper investments across health systems in diagnostics, training and new technologies,” the release stated.

“The most important ways to decrease the incidence of antibiotic resistance are vaccination for pneumonia, influenza, COVID, measles and other diseases,” an infectious diseases expert told Fox News Digital. (Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images))

“The most important ways to decrease the incidence of antibiotic resistance are vaccination for pneumonia, influenza, COVID, measles and other diseases,” Tierney from Creighton University told Fox News Digital. 

Tierney also calls for “antimicrobial stewardship” – which she defines as “the judicious use of antibiotics in humans, animals and farming” – as well as infection prevention practices, especially in health care facilities, and the development of new antibiotics.

“Antibiotics are a shared natural resource that we must all protect.”

While creating new drugs is one way to combat AMR, Marcelin warned that relying only on drug discovery would be “futile,” given the length of time it takes for new medications to be developed, tested and approved.

“The number of new or repurposed antibiotics in late-stage clinical development is very small, and no single antibiotic candidate claims to have activity against those bacteria resistant to all currently available drugs,” she told Fox News Digital. 

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“If we can’t make new drugs easily, we can combat resistance by controlling the spread of resistant organisms, which is the principle of infection control.”

To prevent resistance, experts say that antibiotics should be prescribed and used “only when they are indicated, for the optimal duration, and at the right timing and dosing regimen.” (iStock)

To prevent resistance, Marcelin agrees that antibiotics should be prescribed and used “only when they are indicated, for the optimal duration, and at the right timing and dosing regimen.”

She added, “Antibiotics are a shared natural resource that we must all protect, so that we can continue to live in a world where we make medical advances and reduce mortality from bacterial infections.”

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Fox News Digital reached out to GRAM researchers requesting comment.

A TikTok trend could pose a potential hazard to children.

“Glass fruit,” otherwise known as Tanghulu — which involves hardening sugar over various fruits to give it a crunchy topping — has become a growing food trend on social media.

Making Tanghulu requires microwaving a sugar and water mixture at 30-second intervals for about five minutes until it’s boiling, according to TikToker Jasmine and Tea, who posted a tutorial in April.

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The food-focused content creator warned in the video, which now has nearly 20 million views, that the mixture will get “really hot” and that people should not touch it with bare hands.

The skewered fruit of choice is dipped into the liquid mixture while it’s still hot and placed on the side to harden.

The viral trend has resulted in trips to the hospital for some children testing out the recipe at home.

Shriners Children’s Hospital in Boston released a notice in August about an uptick in cases of children with severe burn injuries due to spilling sugar.

Shriners surgeon Colleen Ryan, MD, reported that she has treated two patients within two weeks who were injured during the activity.

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“When sugar is melted in the microwave like this, it has a high heat capacity, meaning it stores the heat energy,” she said in a statement. 

“If spilled, it can create a severe scald burn, much like spilling hot soup, but it can cause a much deeper burn because of sugar’s properties. Kids or teens can quickly grab the pot or bowl, and the hot fluid splashes, spills or splatters over them.”

Tanghulu is a traditional northern Chinese snack of candied fruit on a skewer. (iStock)

The result is “one or several small but very deep burns, often in critical areas such as the hand or the face,” Ryan noted.

“Parents should make sure their children have learned proper cooking safety and take preventive measures.”

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The surgeon said that her colleagues, both in the U.S. and internationally, have also reported an increase in these injuries related to the cooking trend.

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She encouraged parents to be aware that their children might come across this trend on social media.

“It can seem like a fun, harmless activity for kids to try making the treat themselves,” she said. “There is an opportunity to prevent this injury if everyone is aware of this danger.”

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“Parents should be careful and make sure their children have learned proper cooking safety and take preventive measures.”

Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst for Fox News and clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center, told Fox News Digital that melted sugar is “dangerous,” and warned of how “contagious” these types of viral trends can be among kids.

“Parents should be careful and make sure their children have learned proper cooking safety and take preventive measures,” warned Shriners Children’s Hospital in Boston. (iStock)

If a child gets burned, the doctor advises parents to remove their clothes from the affected area and wash with cool water.

Shriners says not to apply ice to the burn and to seek medical attention if necessary.

“Blistering is a second-degree burn and may respond to burn creams, but leathery (black, brown or white in color) may be third-degree and needs to be seen right away,” Siegel added.

Fox News Digital reached out to Shriner’s Children’s Hospital for comment.