My Husband Became a Poster Child of the Post-Antibiotic Era • Hacker News Board

Re: My Husband Became a Poster Child of the Post-Antibiotic Era

#21

Post by spraak » Sun, May 05, 2019, 1:31 AM UTC

It's not just antibiotics, but some types of vaccines are creating evolutionary pressure and new strains of the pathogen. E.g. for pertussis

> it is thought that B. pertussis is adapting under acellular vaccine mediated immune selection pressure, towards vaccine escape [1]

> an increase in asymptomatic infection with concomitant increases in transmission and increased selection pressure for Bordetellapertussis variants that are better able to evade vaccine-mediated immunity than older isolates [2]

[1] https://academic.oup.com/femspd/article/73/8/ftv064/2467598

[2] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S156713481...

Re: My Husband Became a Poster Child of the Post-Antibiotic Era

#22

Post by DoreenMichele » Sun, May 05, 2019, 1:37 AM UTC

concerned209 wrote: post #10

Any recommendations on what an individual could do to help? Organizations to donate to? Challenges that could be tackled by a startup? Promising companies to consider investing in? Also, can anybody explain why the CDC doesn’t mandate reporting?

I'm having trouble figuring out how to reply to the way you are framing the problem space.

There are several Einstein quotes along the lines of "A problem cannot be solved using the same thinking that created it."

The problem of antibiotic resistance won't be solved with the same mindset that got us here.

One thing contributing to the rise of antibiotic resistance is poor santitation in developing countries. Another is poverty.

There is also research into how to break up biofilm and thereby reverse antibiotic resistance. It points to issues with body chemistry which can basically be tied to diet.

I think there are clearly avenues we can pursue, but most people are extremely dismissive of those avenues. So they simply aren't being pursued in earnest.

Re: My Husband Became a Poster Child of the Post-Antibiotic Era

#23

Post by phkahler » Sun, May 05, 2019, 1:37 AM UTC

spraak wrote: post #21

It's not just antibiotics, but some types of vaccines are creating evolutionary pressure and new strains of the pathogen. E.g. for pertussis > it is thought that B. pertussis is adapting under acellular vaccine mediated immune selection pressure, towards vaccine escape [1] > an increase in asymptomatic infection with concomitant increases in transmission and increased selection pressure for Bordetellapertussis varian…

>> some types of vaccines are creating evolutionary pressure...

Wouldn't it be nice if we had more eradication programs? Evolution is going to work around every vaccine eventually unless we eradicate the disease. Yes, this is a hard problem but I think long term its worth it. Eventually we might get good at it.

Re: My Husband Became a Poster Child of the Post-Antibiotic Era

#24

Post by ars » Sun, May 05, 2019, 1:59 AM UTC

concerned209 wrote: post #10

Any recommendations on what an individual could do to help? Organizations to donate to? Challenges that could be tackled by a startup? Promising companies to consider investing in? Also, can anybody explain why the CDC doesn’t mandate reporting?

Pressure large meat companies to not buy from farms that use routine antibiotics. That's probably the biggest practical thing.

It worked for hormones (do you see much BST cow milk)?

The next thing is convincing India to stop handing out antibiotics like candy, but that's not something an individual can do.

Re: My Husband Became a Poster Child of the Post-Antibiotic Era

#25

Post by throwaway5752 » Sun, May 05, 2019, 2:14 AM UTC

jen_h wrote: post #19

DoreenMichele wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From the article: Alternatives to antibiotics are desperately needed. She's not pushing phage research per se, just research into alternatives generally.

Did you stop reading there, by chance?

Shame on whoever downvoted you. The full last 5 paragraphs are devoted to bacteriophages, which are what ultimately saved the author's husband. The author is "Co-Director of the Center for Innovative Phage Applications and Therapeutics" at UCSD (https://profiles.ucsd.edu/steffanie.strathdee)

It closes on

"The possibility of living in a post-antibiotic era where simple surgeries or scrapes could lead to an infection that requires limb amputation or results in death means we need to improve AMR surveillance, diagnosis and treatment. This includes antibiotics, but should also include phage therapy. We can’t afford to bury a promising alternative to antibiotics for another hundred years."

She is absolutely pushing phage research. Not exclusive to any alternatives, but that is basically the point of the article.

Re: My Husband Became a Poster Child of the Post-Antibiotic Era

#26

Post by mises » Sun, May 05, 2019, 2:26 AM UTC

I think giving the third-world antibiotics was not a wise action for first-world nations to take. They are given out way too often, and there is reason these diseases come from there (also bad hygiene). People will also keep extras and just take them when they don't feel well. It may have helped short-term for the third world, but it will harm us all long-term.

The biggest issue is that they were provided at very, very cheap prices (especially relative to prices elsewhere). When they are so cheap and readily available, they are abused. It's like the over-use of corn syrup here.

Re: My Husband Became a Poster Child of the Post-Antibiotic Era

#27

Post by rossenberg79 » Sun, May 05, 2019, 2:29 AM UTC

HillaryBriss wrote: post #2

...for most superbugs, health departments and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) don’t track who acquires them, nor do they know how many recovered or died. The most recent CDC report estimates that 23,000 people die in the U.S. each year from superbug infections, based on data from 2010. But a recent report estimated that at least 153,000 people died from superbug infections the same year, an es…

Not scary at all. This is just life, and we must endure it.

Keep in mind at the same time this is happening we also have to deal with climate change and not blowing ourselves up in all out Nuclear War. And even if we avoid all that you could still step outside and be shot or stabbed by a ruffian who leaves you dead all the same.

Re: My Husband Became a Poster Child of the Post-Antibiotic Era

#28

Post by lkrubner » Sun, May 05, 2019, 2:30 AM UTC

concerned209 wrote: post #10

Any recommendations on what an individual could do to help? Organizations to donate to? Challenges that could be tackled by a startup? Promising companies to consider investing in? Also, can anybody explain why the CDC doesn’t mandate reporting?

90% of all antibiotics are used in agricultural and the CDC has no jurisdiction over agriculture.

Re: My Husband Became a Poster Child of the Post-Antibiotic Era

#29

Post by spraak » Sun, May 05, 2019, 2:37 AM UTC

phkahler wrote: post #23

spraak wrote: post #21

It's not just antibiotics, but some types of vaccines are creating evolutionary pressure and new strains of the pathogen. E.g. for pertussis > it is thought that B. pertussis is adapting under acellular vaccine mediated immune selection pressure, towards vaccine escape [1] > an increase in asymptomatic infection with concomitant increases in transmission and increased selection pressure for Bordetellapertussis varian…

>> some types of vaccines are creating evolutionary pressure... Wouldn't it be nice if we had more eradication programs? Evolution is going to work around every vaccine eventually unless we eradicate the disease. Yes, this is a hard problem but I think long term its worth it. Eventually we might get good at it.

I don't believe that eradication is possible, but I'm curious to hear more what your thoughts are

Re: My Husband Became a Poster Child of the Post-Antibiotic Era

#30

Post by maxerickson » Sun, May 05, 2019, 2:38 AM UTC

spraak wrote: post #29

phkahler wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>> some types of vaccines are creating evolutionary pressure... Wouldn't it be nice if we had more eradication programs? Evolution is going to work around every vaccine eventually unless we eradicate the disease. Yes, this is a hard problem but I think long term its worth it. Eventually we might get good at it.

I don't believe that eradication is possible, but I'm curious to hear more what your thoughts are

Smallpox is a counterexample to your concern.

Polio almost is, the issues are social and political and have little to do with vaccine escape.