Bacteria that resist 'last antibiotic' found in UK
1–10 of 124 posts
Re: Bacteria that resist 'last antibiotic' found in UK
#2Officials say the threat to human health is low, but is under ongoing review.
I feel better?
Is my kid going to live in a post-apocalyptic world where a new Black Plague has wiped out 2/3 of the population because it is completely antibiotic resistant? Or will new solutions (maybe ones that attack at a molecular level) be available first?
I'm not asking rhetorically, any input would be awesome.
Re: Bacteria that resist 'last antibiotic' found in UK
#3Officials say the threat to human health is low, but is under ongoing review. I feel better? Is my kid going to live in a post-apocalyptic world where a new Black Plague has wiped out 2/3 of the population because it is completely antibiotic resistant? Or will new solutions (maybe ones that attack at a molecular level) be available first? I'm not asking rhetorically, any input would be awesome.
There's always phage therapy. It's harder to get FDA approval though. Every application is uniquely modified to target a specific bacteria. This means each treatment would need its own approval under the current rules.
Re: Bacteria that resist 'last antibiotic' found in UK
#4Officials say the threat to human health is low, but is under ongoing review. I feel better? Is my kid going to live in a post-apocalyptic world where a new Black Plague has wiped out 2/3 of the population because it is completely antibiotic resistant? Or will new solutions (maybe ones that attack at a molecular level) be available first? I'm not asking rhetorically, any input would be awesome.
> Is my kid going to live in a post-apocalyptic world where a new Black Plague has wiped out 2/3 of the population because it is completely antibiotic resistant?
Yes, but briefly.
Re: Bacteria that resist 'last antibiotic' found in UK
#5How about the most obvious solution: Stop keeping (farm) animals in conditions that require mass antibiotic feedings for the animals to survive?!
Re: Bacteria that resist 'last antibiotic' found in UK
#6Officials say the threat to human health is low, but is under ongoing review. I feel better? Is my kid going to live in a post-apocalyptic world where a new Black Plague has wiped out 2/3 of the population because it is completely antibiotic resistant? Or will new solutions (maybe ones that attack at a molecular level) be available first? I'm not asking rhetorically, any input would be awesome.
I don't think the worry is that we will suffer a Black Plague again, but more than almost every instance of surgery or anything that leaves a person immunocompromised will lead directly to infection.
A lot of modern medicine suddenly becomes useless because the health benefits that it brings are nullified by the fact that an infection is sure to follow.
Organ transplants and chemotherapy are two big ones that become near impossible if antibiotics are useless.
Re: Bacteria that resist 'last antibiotic' found in UK
#7How about the most obvious solution: Stop keeping (farm) animals in conditions that require mass antibiotic feedings for the animals to survive?!
This needs to be done on a global scale and we haven't even made progress on that in the US. How do we start?
Re: Bacteria that resist 'last antibiotic' found in UK
#8Officials say the threat to human health is low, but is under ongoing review. I feel better? Is my kid going to live in a post-apocalyptic world where a new Black Plague has wiped out 2/3 of the population because it is completely antibiotic resistant? Or will new solutions (maybe ones that attack at a molecular level) be available first? I'm not asking rhetorically, any input would be awesome.
From what I've read, the antibiotics can be phased out, and then later, phased back in.
Because the competition is so high, the bacteria can't afford the energy/resources to continue resistance to antibiotics that aren't in use--they are out-competed.
Therefore, currently ineffective antibiotics will become effective again in the future.
That said, I did not read if this is being practiced already.
Re: Bacteria that resist 'last antibiotic' found in UK
#9How about the most obvious solution: Stop keeping (farm) animals in conditions that require mass antibiotic feedings for the animals to survive?!
Amen. Animal agriculture (innocuously referred to as "agriculture" in the article) has to be the single biggest contributor to the existence of these superbugs.
Re: Bacteria that resist 'last antibiotic' found in UK
#10I'm hoping new antibiotics like Teixobactin get to market quickly.
That said multiple comments have been made here on HN on how there are no incentives for the pharmaceutical industry to bring a new antibiotic to market. It would likely be prescribed as a last effort antibiotic, with a very low volume.