Superbugs? Sounds awesome. Like a disease with superpowers! Staphylococcus aureus that flies? Sounds pretty cool. Well, that’s not exactly what superbug means, and in reality they’re totally NOT awesome, and incredibly scary. Superbugs are antibiotic resistance bacteria that can be caused by antibiotic misuse or overuse, including not finishing a full course of antibiotics. Superbugs are becoming a major problem, not only in human medicine, but also veterinary medicine. A superbug infecting golden retriever puppies, what a depressing thought. Well it’s happening people! I don’t know about you but thinking about sick dogs really bums me out, so let’s not depress ourselves, and we’ll talk about human illnesses instead!
Why are people REALLY worried about superbugs? Is it really as serious as people think? The short answer… YEP! A recent article by A. Palowski explains the seriousness of antibiotic resistance, and how it is getting progressively worse. It is explained that by 2050, if nothing is changed, there could be 10 million deaths a year from drug-resistant infections. UM EXCUSE ME? That’s no good. One major super bug us homo sapiens have to worry about is MRSA. We all got the letters growing up about the effects of MRSA while it was running rampant through schools. I remember being terrified and thinking I had MRSA anytime I had an open wound. Palowski explains that 5% of healthcare professionals carry this bacteria in their nose. Along with that, antibiotic resistance bacteria mainly affects immunocompromised people… a.k.a. people who are in hospitals! Considering this information alone, superbugs are and are going to continue to be a BIG problem.
You may be wondering what doctors and scientists are doing to stop the progression of superbugs. Honestly, there is not much being done, or at least not enough. A recent article by Julia Belluz explains some different bacteria that is becoming resistance to previously effective antibiotics, some of which include strains of tuberculosis and gonorrhea. So it sounds to me like this superbug thing is no joke. Belluz also talks about the controversy of alerting the public about these superbugs. At first thought, I would say ABSOLUTELY tell the public when there is an issue so they can protect themselves. However, she brings up some interesting points as to why many cases of superbugs has been hidden from the public, at least for awhile. Often times, doctors and scientists are unaware if a case of ineffective antibiotics will turn into an outbreak, or if is just one rare case. However, I still think patients have the right to know what they are being exposed to. Overall, there is a lack of transparency, and I personally think this is only increasing the misuse of antibiotics because many people are not aware of the effects. But what do I know!
Let’s all stop misusing antibiotics and help with the stop of superbugs!
Laura's Food For Thought 