Coloured transmission electron micrograph of a deadly cluster of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria, which are resistant to antibiotics. Via
Coloured transmission electron micrograph of a deadly cluster of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria, which are resistant to antibiotics. Via
The Hypertextual Lounge 
There is a constant use of antibiotics for disease treatments to destroy bacteria. Eventually, these bacteria evolve and become super bacteria. Some antibiotics are not responding to certain treatments. This a constant threat to society. Even though you take the treatment, some bacteria are resistant to the antibiotic.
Last year, they discovered that Gram-negative bacteria in China have remained susceptible to certain types of antibiotics, called polymyxins. These antibiotics have been known as the strongest. They have been used various times to treat diseases.
In the meat industry, they constantly give animals antibiotics such as colistin to increase their size and make them more resistant to diseases. The bacteria in the animal become resistant to colistin. These resistant bacteria are passed to us when we eat meat or when we are in contact with the animal. Then we are transmitted with the disease or with the antibiotic that the animal had.
We can use other ways to kill bacteria in a natural form. We can use garlic, honey, oil of oregano, olive leaf extract, turmeric, echinacea, ginger, goldenseal, grapefruit seed extract, vitamin c and also neem. The point is that we can use natural ways to prevent diseases instead of using antibiotics prescribed from the doctor.
Technology is evolving every day to destroy the super bacteria but we also need to have good health practices.
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This is an electron micrograph image of a gram negative bacteria that is resistant to multiple antibiotics:
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Bacteria have always been a threat to humanity, in past times they killed thousands. We finally got the upper hand by the creation of antibiotics to support our immune system. Even with antibiotics bacteria develop resistance by mutating and in a way evolving so, natural selection is at work. Also, we humans contribute to our own demise by taking antibiotics commonly and into numerous occasions helping the development of more immune bacteria. In the modern world, any pathogen can spread relatively easy causing large numbers of death. Scientists will continue to quickly develop new antibiotics aginst these new bacteria but at the end, it’s a race between who develops first either more immune bacteria that could become extremely deadly or scientists in the development of antibiotics for this new threats.
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I agree. The same tools that have helped humans be, well, humans can someday be the reason behind our collapse. The same is true of climate change and global warming.
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The antibiotic apocalypse is a terrible threat and a harrowing future could be on the horizon, luck will play a bigger role in our future than any doctor could. The US Centers of Disease Control has pointed to the emergence of “nightmare bacteria” and many organizations have warned the public of the severity of the situation. Antibiotics kill bacteria, but the bugs are incredibly slick enemies. Once treated with a new drug, they find cunning ways to ensure their survival. As long as new drugs get discovered, resistance is not a problem. Recently, scientists found a new antibiotic, it has been hailed as a “paradigm shift”, which is a fundamental change in the basic concepts and experimental practices of a scientific discipline, in the fight against the growing resistance to drugs. Teixobactin has been found to treat many common bacterial infections such as septicemia, tuberculosis and C. diff., and could be available within five years. Scientists have always believed that the soil was filled with new and potent antibiotics because bacteria have developed complex ways to fight off other microbes. We will keep evolving, technology will become more advanced and scientists will continue to discover new drugs to fight against the bacteria, but it may take a while for them to be ready for medical use.
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-34857015
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“Bacteria becoming completely resistant to treatment – also known as the antibiotic apocalypse – could plunge medicine back into the dark ages.”
Scary stuff.
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As it is said in the article, antibiotics are one of the greatest tools of medicine out of hands of doctors. If antibiotics didn’t exist, simple procedures such as treating a cut or a flu would kill you. The World Health Organization has warned that “many common infections will no longer have a cure and, once again, could kill unabated.” Antibiotics kill bacteria, but they keep finding ways to survive, even though you are treating them. They make deadly infections treatable. With this said, new drugs need to be produced. Without antibiotics in our lives it would be harder to live, sickness would be more contagious, therefore hospitals would be full all the time. It would be impossible to eliminate antibiotics, due to new technology evolving and scientist wanting to improve the way of living not making it worse.
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-21702647
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I want to address how fun and easy the video explains the current issue of antibiotics. I would also like to say that I really like this subject because it makes me imagine a war between bacteria and humans. The peculiar thing is that this war is on a constant draw instead of a simple victory for the bacterial army as it once was. Thanks to a new weapon developed by scientists on the human’s side, we can kill the oldest kind of organisms that ever lived on this Earth, bacteria. Unfortunately, our great weapon will never wipe out the bacterial army because they have endless amounts of soldiers and recruits and their army is very diverse. We have to be careful with this weapon. We must win or at least keep the war on a constant draw if we want our species to survive on this planet. We must only use our destructive weapon as a last resource because if not the enemy, bacteria, will learn our tactics of attack. If we use it often it will be less effective to kill enemy soldiers because they will become more resistant to it. Also, this weapon must only be used against the army of bacteria and no other armies, like the viruses. Just as like bacteria evolve, we will make our amazing weapon evolve too.
To see the real decoded information about antibiotics, click on the following link: http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/drugs-procedures-devices/prescription-medicines/antibiotics-when-they-can-and-cant-help.printerview.all.html
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I really liked this video it kept your attention rapt. I agree with this video in the way that antibiotics should be used in a last resource or else many bacteria would evolve and develop resistance and it would be if we did not have any antibiotics at all. For example a cut to your finger would turn into the fight of your life if bacteria form resistance. As long as new frugs keep coming up , resistance is not a problem ,but there hasnot been a new class of antibiotics discovered since the 1980’s. We have started a war with bacteria and sadly we humans are falling behind.
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Yes, is scary: the potential chaos that can emerge from a superbug. But fear tends to paralyze. I’m confident that the global effort to afford such a catastrophe will yield good results. Check out this website. It provides information about ongoing research with superbugs: http://www.superbugslab.org/
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In the video above, we can observe how immunity can be spread throughout a community of bacteria, kind of like a disease. With the invention of antibiotics, we have been able to fight bacterial infections that could have killed us before, such as a small cut. They kill either bacteria or prevent bacterial reproduction. But we have been using antibiotics wrong, we have abused of this medicine and now bacteria are turning into superbugs. Superbugs have adapted to the antibiotics and essentially became immune to it due to the use of antibiotics in animals, which we then ingest and take in the antibiotics. Also, animals are kept in horrible conditions that bacteria appreciate very much, since they can reproduce easily and find a victim to take over. Currently, scientists struggle trying to find antibiotics that serve for superbugs, but with each new superbug, comes new studies and medical advancements.
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Before scientists developed antibiotics many people died because of diseases that in present day are easibly curable. Civilizations, like the Taino Indians, were almost completely eradicated when the Spanish conquered because their bodies were exposed to new pathogens never before seen. When antibiotics were developed it helped millions of lives because it destroyed harmful bacteria and viruses fast but after so much time using them it only makes sense that bacteria will reproduce and be able to resist those antibiotics which is extremely dangerous because those diseases that once killed millions of people will once again be in “power”, so to say. Thankfully, scientists are already working on preventing bacteria to grow stronger.
https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/issue/feb2014/feature1
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The creation of antibiotics have saved millions of lives. Thanks to the experiments and the will of finding solutions by scientists, humans can continue living on Earth. But, as the video has explained the overuse of antibiotics is a problem instead of being a solution. Bacteria can overcome antibiotics by adaptations. These evolved bacteria (superbugs) can kill the human race if we let them take over. But, we humans can attack bacteria by doing more research and make more antibiotics. What we need to do is to educate many people as possible of how to use antibiotics correctly. Also, we must keep on advancing our technology so that in the future we might be able to stop this war against bacteria.
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It can be said that superbugs were the result of the incorrect use of antibiotics. Superbugs, as explained in the video, are bacteria that are immune to multiple antibiotics. Antibiotics are medicines that supply our body antibodies to fight infections, but if used incorrectly some bacteria may survive and reproduce giving the resistance phenotype in a process known as natural selection. This is a real threat to humanity. As it has been found, these superbugs are spreading quickly and are killing approximately 25,000 people a year. But giving up is not something humans are known for, we’re here for the fight. Recently, scientists have created superbugs in their own labs and are finding ways to kill them, thus medicine will get better. But help can also come from those that are not scientists. People can eliminate the antibiotics given to the animals involved in the meat industry by giving them more space and a cleaner place to live. Doctors also need to be sure when prescribing antibiotics. As explained in the video, they are last resort medicines and are not needed for simple sicknesses. Many other things can be done to stop the spread of this threat. If we work together, take the right steps and advice, we may win the fight against these superbugs. The following link explains more of this topic:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/z8kccdm
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Antibiotics were created to combat or to keep bacterial infections from reproducing that have existed since millions of years ago. Bacteria’s also known now days as prokaryotic microorganisms. Thanks to the outbreak of antibiotics, it saved millions of lives. Focusing on the problem mentioned in the video such as: overuse of antibiotics and the other part of the problem, that they’re giving antibiotics to the animals that are our food resources. Just so it could cost less for the companies maintaining bigger quantities of animals in very poor conditions, is outrageous. Leaving the bacteria to create more resistance over time. Luckily there’s antibiotics for those bacteria that have created resistance yet by time those bacteria will even have more resistance, leaving this into a cycle. That cycle may lead into a pandemic causing millions of deaths just by not using the antibiotics with precautions.
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Antibiotics have saved many people from many illnesses. Antibiotics attack the bacteria inside your body to cure you from diseases and viruses. Like the video said, the bacteria in your body evolve as us, humans, and they become immune to some antibiotics. And as the bacteria become immune the current antibiotics might not have effects in our health. The use of antibiotics it the meat production, like in China, may be the great cause of this immunity in the bacteria and that disables us to get the healthy with current antibiotics. If this situation in the meat production continues it would cause a real problem in the world. But there is also bright side to all of this: as the bacteria evolve, technology evolves to create new antibiotics to fight the bacteria that are immune to other antibiotics.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/paulrodgers/2014/05/23/fears-for-antibiotic-apocalypse-grow/#2ba1f0975ad9
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The video shows us some positive and negative parts of us humans. It shows us the scientists, working harder and harder to find the antibiotic to cure them all, the farmers, that do not care about the conditions their animals live in, because their profits benefit from the horrible conditions the animals live in. Then , they use antibiotics so the people don’t get the diseases, but they make it worse by doing so.
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As seen in this video and said by all the comments from this post, we humans have been abusing antibiotics. An antibiotic helps us kill bacteria and stop infections. When using antibiotics there is chance of creating microorganism’s resistant to the antibiotic, as stated in the video. This in turn forces us humans to make stronger antibiotics since the microorganism is resistant to the weak antibody. In the end, a war rages on between antibiotics and bacterium fighting, each time getting one side stronger than the other and then vice-versa. As stated in the video, this occurs do to a high usage of antibodies when not necessary. When I was younger I was a person who took antibiotics whenever a weak cold or nasal congestion would show in me, those being moments were I shouldn’t have taken the antibiotics since it wasn’t something serious but something that would pass. Now I’ve learned that antibiotics should only be used when necessary. Microorganisms also grow a resistant to them since antibiotics are fed to animals, and then we eat those animals, thus getting the antibiotics from the food we eat. We need to start controlling the usage of antibiotics because microorganisms can keep resisting to antibiotics but the possibility of advancing this medicine could become limited in the future because they can become so potent that they can be harmful to the human body like some already found. I found this report on antibiotics to be useful since it went in detail over all of the factors in antibiotic usage mentioning risks, ways of stopping over usage, from where do we get antibiotic etc. http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/pdf/ar-threats-2013-508.pdf
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It isn’t surprising to hear the news that antibiotics are, in a way, helping bacteria become more powerful. Too much of a good thing is bad. This shows how human beings can abuse science. The fact that some humans are ignorant to this and take antibiotics recklessly is quite bothersome, given the fact that, as mentioned in the video, people in other countries don’t have easy access to antibiotics we can get over-the-counter. I think it’s unfair that thanks to the reckless use of these antibiotics, we are helping create a deadly superbug that will affect the people who don’t have access to the over-the-counter medicines. Though bacteria evolve the antibodies to fight our antibiotics, we, too, evolve with them, so I believe that there might be a chance that our immune system can become even more refined and help combat this superbug. As mentioned in the video, we can prevent this superbug from happening if we take the right measurements. We should raise more awareness of this problem, now that it is likely to affect our near future, so that more people will be aware and take antibiotics with more precaution.
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Antibiotics are use to fight and keep the bacteria from reproducing. Humans have over used many of this antiobiotics and the bacteria have developed to resist the antibiotics. People have been using antiobiotics wrong, if everytime you feel pained or have a cold you use antibiotics obviously, your body over time will not respond to the antibiotics. People have to start using natural resources for these problems. Also, the use of antibiotics in animal it is a big problem bacause many disease nowadays are passed from the food we eat. The situation in the meat distribution will be much bigger if the farmers and buyers don’t resolved the problem they have. If this problem continuous it will cause a big problem to population. In this moment we just have to trust in the technology in science and wait for a solution for this problem. The following article is about the chickens in India. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2016-03-29/antibiotic-apocalypse-fear-stoked-by-india-s-drugged-chickens
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Yes, antibiotics help our immune system or better yet help destroy those bacteria, viruses, etc. But all good things come an end don’t they? If we just sit back and let our egos control our mind to say that technology will solve it or something like “Oh, the government is hiding the cure.” we will not survive in this world. Nature will not adapt to our way of living, WE as humans have to adapt to nature. And superbugs is no joke. It has happened before that new diseases surface and they kill many of our population. And it can spread in the simplest way we can imagine, through what we consume to satisfy our hunger.
Here in Puerto Rico we love chicken. We can eat and breathe if we can ’cause we love food. But once you see this article below, it should be enough of an reason for us to get worried. It’s better to start worrying now then letting it get worse and not being able to come up with a solution at the end.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2016-03-29/antibiotic-apocalypse-fear-stoked-by-india-s-drugged-chickens
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When we saw this video in class, at first I was scared, due to the fact that human beings could be the cause of the downfall of human beings, but also because I temporarily thought that there was no hope. But then, as the video progressed, the thought quickly fleeted from my mind.
While this educative video reminds and scares humans about the negative impact they have had on the world, it also highlights and focuses a bit on the positive impact humans have had on the world. There have been many scientific breakthroughs throughout hundreds of years, a very recent one being the breakthrough regarding cancer.
According to CNN: “Researchers discovered that even though cancer cells mutate wildly within a person’s body, the cancer cells within each patient also have common mutations — ones that could be isolated and fought off by certain immune cells.”
While there are still many diseases without cures, there are many more humans willing to take the time to help find those cures.
Reference: http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/04/health/cancer-treatment-research-breakthrough/
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Seeing an information like this can be scary many people because it discreetly says that it is possible that many people will die. Antibiotics were created to battle bacteria and be used as a tool only for good, but what we are seeing now this might not be the case. An abuse or overuse of anything is bad, that is certain, which means that the abuse of antibiotics can have serious consequences. This consequence is the creation of bacteria resistant to the most powerful antibiodics, which could render antibiodics obsolete against them and that is something that we definetly cannot allow. Good news is that new antibiodics are being created due to the rapid advancement of technology, so an antibiodic apocalypse could less probable that people would think. But one oddly interesting thing about these bacterias mutating and being immune to these antibiodics is that it could be the work of natural selection since there is always the mutated bacteria that resists the antibiodics. So maybe mother nature might be helping these bacterias evolve (not saying that this a good thing for human beings), but due to this, we humans evolve as well because we keep advancing technology in order to survive.
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It is amazing to listen to all the facts related to antibiotics and bacteria, but at the same time it is scary to think about the possible ways that we might actually be indirectly killing ourselves. By using more and more antibiotics we are indirectly creating a super bacteria or virus which might wipe us out in the future. I believe that the only way to save ourselves is to stop using some of the more powerful antibiotics and just let our body take its course, even if it means death. I also believe that we should not use them in live stock and that we should just have an organic lifestyle without antibodies in our food. This website has many interesting facts about antibodies, bacteria, and viruses:
http://www.cdc.gov/getsmart/community/about/antibiotic-resistance-faqs.html
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“The time may come when penicillin can be bought by anyone in the shops. Then there is the danger that the ignorant man may easily underdose himself and by exposing his microbes to non-lethal quantities of the drug make them resistant.” This quote was said by Alexander Fleming, creator of penicillin, when he won the 1945 Nobel Prize. He, over 70 years ago, warned humanity of the dangers of antibiotics. But, like many prophets and intellectuals in history, he was ignored. A bacterial apocalypse is something you never really think about, but one is approaching—and fast. The following link describes what could be humanity’s saving grace from superbugs and antibiotic immunity:
http://www.nature.com/news/spread-of-antibiotic-resistance-gene-does-not-spell-bacterial-apocalypse-yet-1.19037
To see more Alexander Fleming quotes: http://www.azquotes.com/author/20673-Alexander_Fleming
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It’s very interesting to know that there are so many bacteria in our body at this moment and it is basically of no harm to us. but it’s also scary to know that bacterias are each day stronger and more resistant and we are at more risk of contracting a disease and it being fatal to us. instead of developing stronger antibiotics we should focus on a natural way of getting rid of these bacteria. humans were created to use things the earth itself provides and it has been that way since the beggining of time. there has to be some type of natural remedy from medicinal plants we can use and be more effective than antibiotics made in a lab.
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As discussed in class, the antibiotic apocalypse is something we should worry about, specially since colistin, a last resort antibiotic, was being used for livestock in China. Thanks to the Chinese, bacteria have developed a gene named mcr-1, which counters the effect of colistin and renders colistin useless against bacteria. Mcr-1 has been reported in Germany, Japan, Switzerland, Belgium and other countries. If newer, better antibiotics are not developed in time, many people may die from bacterial infections. I think there should be a very strict, worldwide law that restricts the use of last resort antibiotics, if there is not one yet. More information on the antibiotic apocalypse: http://qz.com/554533/the-antibiotic-apocalypse-is-nigh-scientists-found-bacteria-resistant-to-a-drug-of-last-resort/ Also for more information on mcr-1: http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2016/01/new-mcr-1-reports-warn-untreatable-infection-threat
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Antibiotics are miracle drugs for sure but what is often set aside is the fact that antibiotics kill good bacteria along with the bad. When you take antibiotics you are taking a risk and not just in the side effects that the antibiotic might cause, it is also a risk in society in general when these drugs aren’t prescribed properly, or aren’t taken as prescribed. This is due to the fact that the harmful bacteria has adapted to these antibiotics causing them no harm but it causes them to get stronger which is what scares me about the future of humanity
reference: http://medshadow.org/features/pros-cons-of-antibiotics/
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Too much of anything is bad, especially when it could potentially lead to the fall of human beings. The excessive use of antibiotics is a problem, and one that is being largely ignored. People remain oblivious to the fact that they are contributing to the creation of this “nightmare bacteria” and take antibiotics for any common cold.
Link: http://www.bbc.com/news/health-21702647
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I really liked this video because it explains what our overuse of antibiotics can cause in the future in a way that anyone can understand. I think that it’s true people use antibiotics too much and this will bring problems for these people. Because of this, I believe that we should spread the word to others using videos like this. In fact, I found a few videos from the CDC that talk about the importance of using antibiotics appropriately and what you can do to avoid using antibiotics.
Link: http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/resources/videos.html
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With antibiotics in everything and so accessible we are basically killing ourselves because eventually a superbug, a bacteria immune to several antibiotics, will be immune to every antibiotic out there we have built our own demise which is horrible and terrifying.
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This video provides an amazing explanation of the importance and uses of antibiotics. Antibiotics are a medicine (such as penicillin or its derivatives) that inhibits the growth of or destroys microorganisms. They are considered to be one of the greatest tools in medicine, but like all they have to be used wisely. The over use of them by the people and food industries are having a negative impact in our health because our bodies create resistance to them, thus when they are really necessary, antibiotics do not work properly. This is very dangerous and risky for humans because antibiotics kill many bacterias that can develop into serious illness and even lead to death. People need to be properly educated on the harm antibiotics can have if they are not used correctly and thus aware that they should never take an antibiotic that has not been prescribe by a certificated doctor.
The link below provides an explanation of the risks that exist when taking an antibiotic incorrectly and a list of sicknesses that do not need antibiotics.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/in-depth/antibiotics/art-20045720
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I like how this video explains that although antibiotics kill many bacteria in our bodies, they also create and give source to bacteria becoming immune. Due to the excessive amount of antibiotics used in humans, we have made the bacteria immune to the antibiotics. Bacteria become immune due to evolution and survival mode. The bacteria pass along immunity to other bacteria by exchanging immunity through plasmids, a type of DNA in the bacteria. It is also very interesting how antibiotics work. In the video, it is explained how antibiotics work in the human body against bacteria and how they can destroy the bacterias’ outer layer by ripping it to shreds and making their insides spill out and die. There are many incredible ways how antibiotics work to help us and cure us from bacterias.
This article explains more in detail how antibiotics work and destroy bacteria: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/microbiome/antibiotics/
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I would also add that it is rather scary. For well over a decade we’ve been hearing a lot about climate change as a threat. But a super-bacteria unleashed in a large group of human beings could be just as devastating. One thing they do have in common–super-bacteria & climate change are both anthropogenic threats. We have created conditions for super-bacteria; we have also created the circumstances that are causing our atmosphere to become much more thick than it needs to be.
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I like how this video explains that although antibiotics kill many bacteria in our bodies, they also create and give source to bacteria becoming immune. Due to the excessive amount of antibiotics used in humans, we have made the bacteria immune to the antibiotics. Bacteria become immune due to evolution and survival mode. The bacteria pass along immunity to other bacteria by exchanging immunity through plasmids, a type of DNA in the bacteria. It is also very interesting how antibiotics work. In the video, it is explained how antibiotics work in the human body against bacteria and how they can destroy the bacterias’ outer layer by ripping it to shreds and making their insides spill out and die. There are many incredible ways how antibiotics work to help us and cure us from bacterias.
This article explains more in detail how antibiotics work and destroy bacteria: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/microbiome/antibiotics/
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Excellent article, Claudia. There are a lot of misconceptions out there about bacteria. I found this passage particularly illuminating:
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Antibiotics are a useful tool to fight off bacterias and throughout the years the use of these have led bacterias to evolve via natural selection. Bacterias have multiple ways in which they can pass on their immunity and subsequently creating these so called “super bugs.” It is ironic how the thing that has helped us survive massive outbreaks, diseases and battled off bacterias since the 1930s could in a future be useless or obsolete just because of the fact that people have used antibiotics excessively and have led the bacterias in our bodies to create some sort of immunity. According to the article, “The antibiotic “apocalypse” has been happening for years–we just didn’t notice”, there has been cases in which bacteria have created resistance within a year or months that the new drug surfaced and also the misuse of drugs have led bacteria to evolve significantly and become immune to even more antibiotics. This is why the use of antibiotics should be the last resort in all sorts of cases. Even though scientists are working hard and developing new antibiotics to fight off these “super bugs” the fact that there are bacterias that are immune to some of the “last resort antibiotics”, like for example colistin, already is quite alarming since there is no guarantee that new antibiotics will be introduced in time to fight off these new developed “super bugs.” Not only do we need to adjust the consumption of antibiotics but also processed foods and fast foods since the food we eat may contain bacteria that have created an immunity to all the antibiotics that were given to the animals and by humans eating it, these super bugs from the animals are passed down to us.
http://arstechnica.com/science/2016/07/the-antibiotic-apocalypse-has-been-happening-for-years-we-just-didnt-notice/
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Scary stuff—a multiplier, considering the current threats; each year being hotter than the next, for example. Climate change also makes it harder for people to fight off infections. Our brilliance became our folly. Yes, we developed antibiotics—but we also abused their capabilities. And Prokarya might reign supreme, again.
Great link. I read arstechnica.com a lot.
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The possibility of the emergence of a super bacteria is extremely worrying. The lack of knowledge that people have on how to use antibiotics is what has created this problem. The moment a person has the symptoms of a mild cold they go straight to get some antibiotics when they don’t even know if what they have could possibly be a virus or it could be something minor and not even need medicines at all, as stated here: http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/antibiotic-overuse.html# The solution to this problem is to educate people on antibiotic use.
Another thing that could reduce the risk of a super bacteria is limiting the use of antibiotics in cattle.
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Regulation is key. It has to happen. Farmers need to be responsible with how they are using antibiotics.
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What a threat to humanity! Who would have thought that bacteria that have existed since the beginning of life would be capable of immunity? We are each day closer to a dangerous and scary future. We humans have advanced in technology greatly but bacteria has also evoluted. What concerns me the most is that the world around us keeps changing but will we be capable of keeping up? I hope so. In my opinion we make amazing things and discoveries every single day however, we also tend to take too much advantege of them. Take for instance the creation of a car. It made our life easier, but we over used them and poluted the environment. Similarly, the same happend with antibiotics. We created them, overused them, and know bacteria is becoming inmmune to them. I found this article about how to prevent or slow down antibiotic apocalypse:
http://www.cdc.gov/features/antibioticresistance/
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Scary stuff. But not all is lost. Besides good policy regarding farming practices, we can educate people.
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The creation of a super bacteria is terrifying because it’s a way to end human life and it could easily get out of scientist’s hand making it a huge problem. People aren’t always aware of the damages a bacterium like this can cause and if they are, most of them don’t know how to fight it with an antibiotic.
In some places, people don’t have an easy access to find these antibiotics, and in others its easily found and in a careless way. With time, bacteria go through the process of evolution, making themselves more resistant to antibiotics making it harder for us to fight off the bacteria.
Knowing that bacteria become more resistant to the antibiotics with time is scary because it means that sooner or later there would be no cure what so ever to cure a simple bacterium turned into a super bacterium.
https://www.statnews.com/2016/08/29/superbug-last-resort-antibiotics/
The following link leads to a website with news and more information about the super-bug.
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WOW! The fact that this has been happening for years is truly terrifying. This article makes me imagine a world where every disease or bacteria has mutated and has adapted to every antibiotic available to man, a world where a simple cut on your knee can literally leave you fighting for your life. As long as new drugs keep coming, this should not happen and resistance wouldn’t be a problem.
http://consumersunion.org/news/the-overuse-of-antibiotics-in-food-animals-threatens-public-health-2/
I found this article about the abuse of antibiotics in animals and it states that approximately 80 percent of the antibiotics sold in the United States are used in meat. This type of information has left me astonished. People cant seem to understand that, by overusing drugs, they are reversing all the work scientists have made over the past decades with medicine.
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This article was published today. Research like this can increase our chances against super bacteria: http://phys.org/news/2016-11-newly-genetic-code-bacterial-survival.html
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In a grander scheme, the ability of bacteria becoming immune to antibiotics is the same as insects becoming immune to insecticides and passing insecticide-resistant genes to offspring, creating generations of immune or resistant organisms. This is why mass killing of pests doesn’t work 100% and can cause huge amounts of problems. Other solutions will have to be created for pest control, including bacteria and animals. Maybe genetic engineering awaits us in order to become immune to certain bacteria…who knows?
Click to access ca4205p18-68796.pdf
link talks about cockroach immunity. Theoretically the same concepts apply to bacteria.
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The statement that the use of antibiotics should be restricted to the open public is a fact since if antibiotics were to be used for every small sickness we have, it could possibly lead to a superbug due to the creation of antibiotic resistance. Superbugs also pose as a huge threat to humanity and other animals alike since if we keep injecting antibiotics into our food, we would then be consuming them which make us part of the antibiotic resistance problem. Unfortunately, some livestock farms inject antibiotics to their animals to prevent them from contracting any sickness, but that also brings consequences … https://www.meatinstitute.org/ht/display/ShowPage/id/102248/pid/102248
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It is ironic to think how humans can be killing themselves by saving themselves. This paradox illustrates how far and comolex modern medicine has come. Antibiotics save millions of lives each year and they are one of the most potent and innovative creations of the past 200 years. Ever since Penicillin was discovered, antiobiotics have become one of the most widespread medicines used. Because of their effectiveness in fighting bacteria, antibiotics are regularly prescribed by physicians to help sick people get cured quickly and efficiently.
This can become problematic as seen in the video. Bacteria can undergo evolutionary changes by adapting tonthe environment. These changes can bring about resistance to various antibiotics. Many bacteria nowadays have developed resistance to common antibiotics that are routinely used. Because of this, scientists are forced to investigate and identify potential new antibiotics in order to keep up with this bacterial evolutionary trend. One particularly troublesome thing is how superbacterias develop in places where antiobiotics are commonplace, such as hospitals. MRSA is a type of bacteria that is immune to many types of antiobiotics and pose a threat to already sick individuals in hospital settings.
Another example is the superbug discovered in China. A powerful antibiotic which was seen as last resort medicine was found to be ineffective against this superbug. There are numerous reasons why this is the case. These example range from antibiotics being prescribed by physicians even when not being needed to antibiotics being fed to meat products which are consumed on a regular basis. Thankfully, the video explains that scientists still discover new antibiotics on a regular basis and this allows for the continued fighting against this potentially catastrophic event.
The following article shows new CDC data that reveals a large percentage of antibiotics misused in outpatient settings:
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2016/p0503-unnecessary-prescriptions.html
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I honestly dont think that there is much to say, than just say that antibiotics have changed the world as for good but really for bad. Medics have abused their use and bacterias have adapted to them and evolved to survive them. We as humans dont really think about the consequences that some of our actions have and this is one of them, in the future we will all pay the price for a certain few who abused their power. https://www.google.com.pr/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/in-depth/antibiotics/art-20045720&ved=0ahUKEwinnPu2nILTAhXHSyYKHSEhBH8QFghPMAw&usg=AFQjCNHxSwD2iYlaEJkwrqoVNsfuGDR4CA
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