The Post- Antibiotic Era Is Here

[appalachiablue]

Source: Vox

Every 15 minutes, one person in the US dies because of an infection that antibiotics can no longer treat effectively. That's 35,000 deaths a year. This striking estimate comes from a major new report, released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on the urgent problem of antibiotic resistance.

Although the report focuses on the US, this is a global crisis: 700,000 people around the world die of drug-resistant diseases each year. And if we don't make a radical change now, that could rise to 10 million by 2050.

Drug resistance is what happens when we overuse antibiotics in the treatment of humans, animals, and crops. When a new antibiotic is introduced, it can have great, even life-saving results -- for a while. But then the bacteria adapt. Gradually, the antibiotic becomes less effective and we're left with a disease that we don't know how to treat.

And it's not just diseases like tuberculosis. Common problems like STDs and urinary tract infections are also becoming more resistant to treatment. Routine hospital procedures like C-sections and joint replacements could become more dangerous, too, as the risk associated with infection increases. Two of the most urgent current threats are C. difficile (an infection sometimes brought on by antibiotic use) and drug-resistant N. gonorrhoeae (sometimes dubbed 'super gonorrhea')...


Read more: https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/11/14/20963824/drug-resistance-antibiotics-cdc-report

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Too many antibiotics are dispensed, driving resistance. Doctors prescribe antibiotics for conditions that don't require them and don't even benefit from them, like colds and flus. Animal farmers also use antibiotics widely on livestock and poultry, sometimes to compensate for poor industrial farming conditions.

However there's encouraging news esp. concerning staph infections. But even if deaths are down, this is still very much an emergency. "Stop referring to a coming post-antibiotic era -- it's already here," the CDC report says. "You and I are living in a time when some miracle drugs no longer perform miracles and families are being ripped apart by a microscopic enemy."

- Superbugs Infect Millions And Kill Tens Of Thousands Each Year, CDC Chief Warns Of Post- Antibiotic Era Already Here
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/11/14/superbugs-infect-millions-and-kill-tens-thousands-each-year-cdc-chief-warns-post

[dflprincess]

1. The report I saw on this this morning also mentioned

that pharmaceutical companies aren't interested in finding new antibiotics because there's not enough money in it. When an antibiotic works it's often a one time course of treatment and done.

They'd rather spend their time finding drugs that people will need to use regularly for a long period of time.

[appalachiablue]

2. That I've often read, they prefer to work on meds for chronic,

long term diseases. How sick is that, no pun intended-

[dflprincess]

3. Even when the chronic condition is not all that serious.

Last edited Thu Nov 14, 2019, 11:35 PM - Edit history (1)

Perhaps if they didn't waste so much money on advertising they could ue the cash to work on necessary R&D.

[Marie Marie]

8. Winner!!! Nailed it.

[appalachiablue]

47. The TV ads are obscene!!

[SergeStorms]

13. I'm sure they're sitting on a few.....

until a pandemic and economic windfall just happens to come on down the line, and it will. Then they'll swing into action when they can charge anything they want to cure the disease, and the entire world will sing their praises. Only when they can reap untold profits from a minimum of outlay will they "discover" this wonder drug.

[MLAA]

4. I u derstand something like 80% of antibiotics in US are given to livestock...

One more reason I stopped eating animal products about 8 years ago 😉

[C Moon]

23. Went vegan in 1996, and have never looked back. Don't miss meat and dairy at all.

Back then it was for animal rights. Now it's becoming apparent that consuming meat and dairy has negative effects on our earth and so much more.

[Nitram]

5. I'm sorry to break it to you, but we are most definitely NOT in the "post antibiotic era."

It's a matter of developing new antibiotics fast enough to stay ahead of bacterial mutations. We don't have any other line of defense other than antibiotics. And antibiotics are still saving millions of lives every year. I get it, pathogens are developing immunity against existing antibiotics. The answer is not over-prescribing antibiotics, educating patients to take their entire regimen of antibiotic treatment whether or not they are already feeling better, taking antibiotics out of livestock production, and developing new antibiotics. Until somebody makes an unforeseen breakthrough, that is our best path forward.

[cstanleytech]

7. "We don't have any other line of defense other than antibiotics." Not entirely true as our own

immune systems provide a pretty good defense naturally.
Antibiotics though help bolster it and can be very helpful for those who's immune system needs extra help for whatever reason.

[Nitram]

9. I'm sorry, but antibiotics should always be used in cases where our natural immune system cannot

handle a pathogenic attack. Are you saying you'd forego the use of an antibiotic when you contracted the page because you are sure your immune system can handle it? Give me a break! Some of those at high risk for infections include patients undergoing surgery, patients with end-stage kidney disease, or patients receiving cancer therapy (chemotherapy).

[cstanleytech]

11. No, I am simply saying antibiotics are not the sole thing we have going for us.

If it was our species would have died out long ago.

[Aristus]

14. One-third of Europe died in the 14th Century from the Black Plague

because they didn't have doxycycline.

Yersinia pestis the pathogen that causes the Plague, is incredibly virulent, but it folds like a cheap card table under the onslaught of some fairly common antibiotics.

[cstanleytech]

17. Yes but not everyone died as there were people that survived due to their immune system.

Don't get me wrong I am not one of those people that oppose antibiotics and immunizations rather I am simply pointing out that the immune system itself already provides us alot of protection.

[Aristus]

18. I'm sure the families of the one-third were very comforted by that.

n/t

[cstanleytech]

19. Sigh. nt

[stopdiggin]

25. you're getting pushback

because your statement/argument is somewhat inane .. within the context. Frankly we're not interested in allowing a swath of the population to die off .. so that the remainder can exhibit a "natural immunity." And we need effective drugs and medicine to keep that from happening.

[cstanleytech]

30. But I never said or implied an interest in doing that all I was doing or trying to do was

point out that its not accurate to claim "We don't have any other line of defense other than antibiotics." because we do have our immune systems and without that our species would have probably been been dead long ago.
Hell I take antibiotics myself when prescribed though I try to resist doing it mainly because I do not want to risk contributing to the problem of drug resistant viruses which makes it harder for doctors to help those down the road that truly need them.

[LanternWaste]

40. Is anyone of merit arguing our immune system is not protective at all?

Is anyone of merit arguing our immune system is not protective at all? (and please realize that implying a thing and inferring a thing are two wholly separate concepts...)

If so, I'd love to see that argument.

If not, your point is, at best, specious.

[cyclonefence]

28. Thank you for speaking up

for those of us who have chronic infections (in my case in the lungs) for which there is no treatment except antibiotics when we get a secondary infection. I would have died at age 20 without antibiotics, to be sure new ones as my bacteria become immune to the old ones, without antibiotics.

[KT2000]

15. At present

the last line of defense in antibiotics already have some very serious side effects.
We do have to acknowledge that people are dying due to antibiotic resistance already. They actually experiences the post-antibiotic era. The changes you called for would certainly help but are not likely to happen.

[gristy]

6. antibiotics are sprayed on orange trees!

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-00878-4
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/16/health/antibiotics-citrus-spraying.html

[C Moon]

24. Wow!

[dlk]

10. My close friend's father was a doctor who warned about mass antibiotic resistance decades ago

Why was this knowledge kept largely away from the public for so many years? It would seem to have been useful.

[cstanleytech]

12. I have known about the risk for decades and I am not in the medical field and its why I choose to

only go to my doctor for an antibiotic only as a last resort as I do not want to contribute to the problem.

[stopdiggin]

26. It wasn't. Been known (and recognized as a problem)

for a long, long time. (even in the general public)

[dlk]

41. We must travel in different circles

[Codeine]

32. Kept from the public?

It’s common knowledge. We discussed it in high school 35 years ago. It’s been in news stories for decades. Don’t confuse not paying attention for a conspiracy.

[RobinA]

44. Really,

Still, people cough twice and want to go to the Dr for antibiotics. DEMAND antibiotics. My father was a Dr. and he preached resistance since the '60's. I've read about it since I started reading medical stuff. Not paying attention is right.

[stopdiggin]

49. right on both counts

The problem was widely known, and discussed -- and the over-prescription was in large part driven by public (patient/consumer) demand. Thousands of people (and parents) rushing off to their physician at the slightest sign of symptoms .. and then expecting to leave with a prescription .. "well .. since we're already here, couldn't you .."

(at least in the medical field .. the wholesale usage in agriculture is another topic)

[KT2000]

16. We may have to return

to herbal remedies that have been used before the discovery of antibiotics. Bacteria does not become resistant to herbs because there are multiple compounds in the plant that bacteria would need to develop resistance to. Antibiotics use single or double targets.
Of course this will not be a silver bullet but if someone is facing death it may be worth a try.

[ck4829]

20. There's also phage therapy and we might be able to vaccinate against bacterial infections as well

[roamer65]

21. There is a fine line between antibiotics and many chemotherapy drugs.

Doxorubicin (aka Red Devil) has antibiotic activity. Docs will start to use chemotherapy drugs in many patients.

[C Moon]

22. For the past 10 years, I have never been given antibiotics. This has been through Kaiser.

I think some doctors have been heading the warning, and not applying antibiotics unless proof of infection is evident. But apparently, not enough.

[Mike 03]

27. Does anyone know...

If a particular individual has very rarely or almost never taken an antibiotic, are antibiotics still effective for them? Or is the issue that antibiotics are so prevalent in our food, water and society generally that we're all equally vulnerable to resistence, regardless of our personal use or non-use of antibiotics?

[DeminPennswoods]

31. Took anti-biotics as a kid

for numerous throat infections, but usually just penicillin or terramycin. They always worked. As a Boomer, many of my cohort were caught in the tonsilectomy craze of the 1960s, but not me. I credit still having my tonsils as a major reason I've stayed healthy through cycles of cold and flu season. I only use anti-biotics on the rare occasions I can tell I'm getting a throat infection and then only for as long as I need to feel better. So far, that's worked out well.

[Codeine]

34. Actually, stopping too soon

is a big part of the problem. Always take the entire prescription.

[DeminPennswoods]

36. Know that

but also only want to kill enough so my immune system takes over. Works out for me.

[Codeine]

37. But that leads to antibiotic resistant

germs, and then your immune system will be entirely on its own. I’m sorry, but that’s quite foolish.

[DeminPennswoods]

42. Hasn't yet

Penicillin still works just fine. But that's me.

[Codeine]

43. That isn't how it works.

You aren’t the one who becomes resistant.

[DeminPennswoods]

45. Thanks for your advice,

but I am sticking with what works for me. The original post asked about people who rarely took antibiotics and if these antibiotics were still effective when they are needed. For me, the answer is yes.

[kickitup]

52. There's some scientific evidence that he is actually not being foolish.

https://www.statnews.com/2017/02/09/antibiotics-resistance-superbugs/

And that’s one way to deal with the situation, said Dr. James Johnson, a professor of infectious diseases medicine at the University of Minnesota and a specialist at the Minnesota VA Medical Center.

“In fact sometimes some of us give that instruction to patients. ‘Here, I’m going to prescribe you a week. My guess is you won’t need it more than, say, three days. If you’re all well in three days, stop then. If you’re not completely well, take it a little longer. But as soon as you feel fine, stop.’ And we can give them permission to do that.”

Some doctors are starting to reject the idea that one has to take antibiotics for a set period of time to eradicate the bacteria. They believe taking antibiotics for longer than needed is also leading to resistance.

[appalachiablue]

48. Some concerns about tonsils. A relative had them removed around age 5

c. 1959 and has had chronic colds, flu and respiratory issues ever since-- she's a germ magnet for them but otherwise very healthy.

More, https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/tonsils-removed-throat-infection-colds-adenoids-surgery-childhood-allergies-asthma-a8387801.html

BUT, there's also this NIH article which says there is no association between tonsillectomy and immune system. ??
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26055199

[Codeine]

33. It's not about your resistance

but rather about the resistance of the pathogen in question.

[Mike 03]

51. Thank you!

I should probably have been able to figure that out. Much appreciated!

[cyclonefence]

29. I never see mentioned the availability of antibiotics without prescriptions

in developing countries, especially in the Far East. My son frequently visits a friend who moved to Thailand and always comes back with dozens of Z-packs and other potent antibiotics which are available over the counter in Thailand.

[Codeine]

35. Yep. OTC antibiotics are a problem. nt

[mainer]

38. New line of defense: bacteriophages

in the post-antibiotic era, these bacteria-specific viruses may be our only hope.
http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2018/bacteriophage-solution-antibiotics-problem/

There's a thrilling new book about the topic: THE PERFECT PREDATOR by Stefanie Strathdee. She saved the life of her own critically ill husband by marshalling the help of microbiologists across the country to track down the specific phages she needed.

[appalachiablue]

39. This is important, thanks for posting.

[Brainfodder]

46. Had me at Super Gono!

I've heard the rumors....

Makes me laugh every time I need one.

[ck4829]

50. There are alternatives to antibiotics

[TexasBushwhacker]

53. I had to take an antibiotic after having a root canal

Clindamycin. I got C difficle. I was going to the bathroom 20 times a day. I ended up getting behind on my work and lost my job. It took me 6 months to get over it.