The Next Epidemic; Superbugs and the Future of Medication Cutbacks
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Isabelle R. Sackett
Biology Semester 2
Bill Newton
December 10, 2013
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The Next Epidemic
Superbugs and the Future of Medication Cutbacks
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In the past, there have been many pandemics to attack the world, from the Spanish
Influenza to H1N1. All were devastating in their own way but today, modern technology has created ways around diseases. Medications and vaccinations seem to be able to cure or prevent almost anything, but is this weakening the human body? Some believe that were are creating superbugs that have adapted around our medicines and our bodies will be unable to fight these bacterias. Viruses are mutating and beginning to show up in the world again. Diseases such as
Polio, Measles, and Rubella are reappearing and spreading rapidly. The more we use these medicines, the less equipped our bodies are to new viruses.
Drug resistant bacteria has been a warning from officials for sometime now, yet no one seemed to take it seriously until recently. It was first realized in 1940 with penicillin, which was less than ten years after antibiotics were introduced to the medical field. The Center for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) has brought attention the these superbugs by categorizing them by threat level; concerning, serious, and urgent. The main concern is how quickly these superbugs can travel and cross borders, infecting many along the way. The estimated minimum number of illnesses caused by superbugs is at 2,049,442 and deaths at 23,000 every year in the
United States. Health experts have emphasized on the fact that this is the minimum number. It is expected that is could be near twice that. Since the bacteria is difficult to detect and many doctors are unaware to look for these super bugs, many cases for unreported to the CDC.
Antibiotic resistance occurs when there are a lot of germs and a few drug resistant germs.
When someone is given antibiotics, the bacteria
!
Isabelle R. Sackett
Biology Semester 2
Bill Newton
December 10, 2013
!
!
!
!
The Next Epidemic
Superbugs and the Future of Medication Cutbacks
!
!
!
In the past, there have been many pandemics to attack the world, from the Spanish
Influenza to H1N1. All were devastating in their own way but today, modern technology has created ways around diseases. Medications and vaccinations seem to be able to cure or prevent almost anything, but is this weakening the human body? Some believe that were are creating superbugs that have adapted around our medicines and our bodies will be unable to fight these bacterias. Viruses are mutating and beginning to show up in the world again. Diseases such as
Polio, Measles, and Rubella are reappearing and spreading rapidly. The more we use these medicines, the less equipped our bodies are to new viruses.
Drug resistant bacteria has been a warning from officials for sometime now, yet no one seemed to take it seriously until recently. It was first realized in 1940 with penicillin, which was less than ten years after antibiotics were introduced to the medical field. The Center for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) has brought attention the these superbugs by categorizing them by threat level; concerning, serious, and urgent. The main concern is how quickly these superbugs can travel and cross borders, infecting many along the way. The estimated minimum number of illnesses caused by superbugs is at 2,049,442 and deaths at 23,000 every year in the
United States. Health experts have emphasized on the fact that this is the minimum number. It is expected that is could be near twice that. Since the bacteria is difficult to detect and many doctors are unaware to look for these super bugs, many cases for unreported to the CDC.
Antibiotic resistance occurs when there are a lot of germs and a few drug resistant germs.
When someone is given antibiotics, the bacteria
Bibliography: October 19, 2012; San Diego, CA: Infectious Diseases Society of America; 2012. ! CDC . National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System for Enteric Bacteria (NARMS): Human Isolates Final Report, 2011 Services, CDC, 2013 . ! ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE THREATS in the United States, 2013. Publication. CDC, 2013. Web. 10 Dec. 2013. . ! CNN. Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 08 Dec. 2013. . ! Control and Prevention, 2009–2010 . Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol . 2013 Jan;34(1):1–14 ! 2013. Web. 11 Dec. 2013. . ! Fox, Maggie. "Nbc News Health." NBC News. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2013. . !