CRAB (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: Scientists have discovered an entirely new class of antibiotic that appears to kill one of three bacteria considered to pose the greatest threat to human health because of their extensive drug-resistance.

Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB)

• About: It is a type of bacteria commonly found in the environment, especially in soil and water.
• A. baumannii can cause human infections of the blood, urinary tract, lungs, wounds, and other body sites.
• It is a serious concern, as the bacteria can be resistant to multiple antibiotics, which makes infections with this multidrug-resistant bacteria very difficult to treat.
• Cause: Infection in hospitals, particularly in people who are on ventilators,
• Transmission of CRAB: Patients colonized or infected with CRAB can spread the bacteria to other patients via the contaminated hands of health care workers, through contaminated medical equipment, or a contaminated health care environment.

Zosurabalpin

• About: It defeated highly drug-resistant strains of Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (Crab) in mouse models of pneumonia and sepsis, and was being tested in human trials.
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