Drug-resistant “superbugs” are no longer a distant threat—they’re already present in Canada, says infectious disease expert Dr. Isaac Bogoch. In an interview with CTVNews.ca, he warned that overuse and misuse of antibiotics is fueling the rise of “nightmare bacteria” that can evade traditional treatments, leaving doctors with fewer options to save lives.
“Antibiotics are an incredible tool. They’ve saved countless lives,” Bogoch said, stressing the need for careful stewardship. “But they’re used and abused every day—and bacteria adapt. It’s an arms race we’re going to lose every time.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently flagged the spread of these organisms, which can mutate when not fully killed by antibiotics. Resistant strains can emerge in hospitals, but also in agriculture, where nearly 70 per cent of antibiotics are used in livestock, from pigs to poultry to fish, to accelerate growth. That practice, Bogoch warned, creates resistant bacteria that can jump from animals to humans.
The consequences are already evident. Diseases such as tuberculosis (TB) and HIV have developed drug-resistant forms, making them far more dangerous. TB, which kills over a million people globally each year, has re-emerged as the world’s leading infectious killer, according to the World Health Organization. Canada reported 2,217 TB cases in 2023—over 10 per cent drug resistant.
Bogoch emphasized the “One Health” approach, which recognizes that human, animal, and environmental health are linked. He cautioned that without stronger global action on antibiotic use and resistance, modern medicine could lose one of its most powerful weapons.
“Ending the TB epidemic by 2030 is a UN goal,” he said, “but without real reform in how we use antibiotics, we may never get there.”