Attack of the Super Bug

[Anonymous]

That which does not kill me, makes me stronger.

People of the world are using antibiotics too liberally. They are using antibiotics in livestock, in agriculture, in everyday life; and this overuse of antibiotics has led to the rise of resistant strains of familiar pathogens.

It works simply by evolution. It is survival of the fittest at work.

Patients are prescribed their medications. They must take in the medications on a set schedule. Too many patients fail to meet this guideline, because on the last few days when they supposedly "get better", the leftover germs may evolve, mutate, and take over the body, building resistance to the drug that is supposed to make them better. Drugs by nature are poisonous. A useful drug would be poisonous to the target organism, not you, but because we are interconnected in the family tree, sometimes a drug can sadly target you too. This is why it is important to limit the drugs we take by not allowing the germs to mutate and become resistant to that drug.

Even if we do take our prescription meds correctly, the germs can still mutate by our overuse of antibiotics and by their natural ability to share genes among themselves. We use drugs both as treatment and as prophylaxis. We also use vaccines both as prophylaxis and treatment. However, vaccines may be the better option, because they work with the adaptive immune system to target pathogenic microbes. Drugs, on the other hand, are foreign substances that do the killing work, and their toxicity to germs may overlap and be toxic to us as well. Drugs and vaccines can trigger allergic reactions, but hopefully that's usually not the majority of the population.

Fortunately, there is hope. We as a society must regulate the use of antibiotics, especially drugs of last resort and new antibiotic drugs. We must contain individuals that are infected with highly contagious, (almost) incurable illnesses, such as multi-drug resistant or extremely drug resistant tuberculosis. We must live healthy to build robust immune systems and make better lifestyle choices (i.e. limiting sexual contact). Only then can we avoid a fate that may wipe us out.

[the_rake]

Yep, people use too many antibiotics and when they do use antibiotics for legitimate reasons, they do not take proper care to make sure the infection has been completely alleviated before they stop taking the dosage.

But also, health care does not go through the proper hygienic procedures that would prevent people getting infected at the very hot bed of MRSA: hospitals while being treated for open wounds. That's right people: better think twice next time you want to get stitches done. European universal health care clinics are ten times better at this than UK or US clinics. They are literally anal about making sure nobody goes into a room with a patient unless they are completely suited up and if you are a foreigner, then it's no visitors, friends or family allowed until you have all been tested thoroughly. Every single nook and cranny the whole place is disinfected: behind the radiators, the window sills, the ventilators, on top of fans, the list goes on. Comparatively, UK and US clinics are in a dreadful state of affairs.

[myTake Owner]

Which country are you from?

[the_rake]

United Kingdom.