New research suggests penicillin is becoming obsolete, and antibiotic resistance could lead to a "major health crisis" unless governments act to promote research into new drugs. Antibiotics such as penicillin have been key to the decline of infectious diseases over the last 60 years, but bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant to existing drugs. That means many antibiotics are no longer effective at combating common diseases, and a lack of research into new drugs means there is a dire shortage of alternatives, according to the report by London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Elias Mossialos, professor of health policy at LSE, led the research and has called for governments to do more to tackle the problem. He told CNN that penicillin is becoming obsolete in some developing countries, as well as in France, Spain and Romania, because of over-prescription by doctors and pharmacists. He said the emergence of "superbugs" such as methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is causing the growing problem of hospital-acquired infections. "Antibiotic resistance is a much more important situation than swine flu and it will only get worse," he said. He said doctors are commonly misdiagnosing viral infections as bacterial infections, and then prescribing antibiotics to treat them, while in some countries pharmacists are selling antibiotics without a doctor's prescription. Excessive use of antibiotics encourages the emergence of resistant bacteria. Dr Kathleen Holloway of the World Health Organization (WHO) told CNN that antibiotic resistance is a global problem, with diseases including childhood pneumonia, dysentery and tuberculosis (TB) no longer responding to first-line antibiotics in some parts of the world. "We've got to a situation where there are no more drugs for certain conditions. There are some people with extreme drug-resistant TB and there are no drugs to treat them," Holloway said. "Research and development of new antibiotics isn't keeping up with development of resistance. If we don't do something about it we'll end up with a situation where all the old drugs have resistance and we don't have any new ones." Mossialos said the lack of development of new antibiotics is largely because antibiotics don't earn pharmaceutical companies as much as other products. That's partly because health policy tries to restrain the use of antibiotics, to avoid building up resistance, and partly because patients only need to use antibiotics for a short duration, typically 10 to 14 days, whereas patients take drugs for chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease for the rest of their lives. Mossialos told CNN that governments need to introduce incentives to encourage pharmaceutical companies to develop new antibiotics. His recommendations include governments developing an international fund that would invest in the early stages of antibiotic R&D, and guarantee sizeable orders for new antibiotics. Holloway agrees governments should help stimulate the development of new antibiotics and also stresses that more investment is needed to promote more prudent use of existing drugs. "In many countries it's not necessarily doctors who are prescribing, it's nurses, paramedical staff and unqualified staff," she said. "Governments need to invest more in providing continuing medical education and supervision for prescribers. "If we run out of antibiotics it's not just poor people with infections who will suffer, it's rich people who won't be able to have anti-cancer therapies or routine operations that rely on antibiotics." Source ----------------------------------- And that is why I haven't taken any antibiotics since like 6, I always let my own immune system do their job... People who takes antibiotics for simple flu or headache will just become reliance to those medication, meaning the next time you get sick, it will get that much worst
Yeah...its antibiotic resistance will kill alot of people, thats why i avoid going to hospitals cause they have alot of antibiotic resistant bacteria there such as golden staph, get that and its almost certain death
From what i've learned in my lecture today: Antibiotic marker genes are used to transfer genetic coding from 1 life form to another;antibiotics are then used to kill cells that were not successfully modified. This may create the possibility that Bacteria living in digestive tract of humans/animals could acquire antibiotic resistance from GMO foods Thanks ACO110 for this post
I am not surprised by this at all .. we knew this issue will eventually come as we advanced in the health sciences. Come on .. irresponsible docs and pharmacists, corporations that produce huge amount of antibacterial hand soap, and the media that cause the frenzy ... hello .. dumb ppl will surely fall it .. non-science ppl don't know shit about resistance .. they just think anything antibacterial is the proper way to being hygienic. Am old fashion handwash with a regular soap bar and water is good enough .. no need for antibacterial soap ALL THE TIME. Ppl just don't get it.
Alot of doctors would over prescribe antibiotics. every little thing that is not really life threatening they would gladly write up a prescription for. that is so sad. long ago when people used to have sore throat the people would just let it go away by itself. now when you go see a doctor for it they would just give you antibiotics and tell you to gargle with salt water. if the sore throat is not contagious then they shouldn't give the patient a prescription for antibiotics. I can understand that antibiotics is for bronchitis etc. the doctors have to watch out for what they are prescribing it for.
Its true that overuse of antibiotics would eventually lead to mutant strains of MRSA. Even if new developments of antibiotics appeared eventually they will be resistant to it. Its a never ending battle between Humans and bacteria
sore throat can be caused by a virus too .. .not necessarily bateria .. and there is no drug for virus (except for tamiflu and one other) .. some docs don't care .. they just wanna cover their ass from lawsuit by covering all corners .. order unnecessary tests and prescribe whatever to ensure that patients feel the docs ahve done something .. not siimply tell them to go home, drink water, and rest then charged them $$$$$... lol
there are natural remedies to every illness, but natural plants/herbs etc cant be patented so drug cartels feed you unatural and dangerous concoctions which can be patented. the drug cartel is even more ruthless than the oil barons
are you the next James Wong? Scientist/Gardener? lol going for natural remedy? [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S-nhkCIBH4"]YouTube- Grow Your Own Drugs/ A Year With James Wong[/ame] TBH that's why i hardly go to doctors anymore unless im seriously ill that im going to die or something lol but most of the serious illness i get antibiotics which means i can't take my birth control pill whilst im on them.. grr.. luckily i hardly need to go to the docs for illness anymore
sometimes you give to much info behsum >.<, but yeah go natural, i think the last time i had medication i was in primary school, and ive always stayed away from painkillers but had to break that tradition when i got toothache, forget that, to painful.
