APPROACHES

FOREIGN
Antibiotics, infection-fighting medicines, have been used to regulate and kill many of the
infectious bacteria that can make humans ill for nearly a century. Antibiotics, on the
other hand, have been losing their efficacy against such bacteria in recent decades. In
fact, today's antibiotics are no longer effective against such bacteria. Unfortunately, the
way we've been using antibiotics has helped in the production of modern drug-resistant
"superbugs."
Superbugs are bacteria strains that are immune to a wide variety of antibiotics.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drug-resistant bacteria
infect more than 2 million people in the United States each year, killing at least 23,000
people. Tuberculosis with antibiotic resistance, gonorrhea, and staph infections are only
a couple of the risks we now face.
Antibiotics are one of the most widely used drugs. They're also given to livestock to
keep them safe and grow. Antibiotics work against bacterial infections like strep throat
and certain forms of pneumonia, as well as diarrheal diseases and ear infections. These
medications, on the other hand, are ineffective against viruses that cause colds and flu.
Unfortunately, a substantial amount of antibiotics given to humans and livestock are
unnecessary. Antibiotic overuse and misuse lead to the development of drug-resistant
bacteria.
Here's how it could go down. Antibiotics, when used appropriately, can assist in the
removal of disease-causing bacteria. If you take an antibiotic for a viral infection like the
flu, though, the medication has little effect on the viruses that are making you ill.
Instead, it can kill a wide range of bacteria in your body, including some of the “good”
bacteria that aid digestion, infection tolerance, and overall health. Bacteria that can
tolerate the drug would have a chance to expand and spread rapidly. This drug-resistant
strains have the ability to spread to others.
Drug-resistant bacteria will survive and grow over time if more people take antibiotics
when they aren't needed. They might also pass on their drug-resistant features to other
bacteria. Some disease-causing bacteria can cause drugs to become less effective or
stop working altogether.
Dr. Dennis Dixon, an NIH specialist in bacterial and fungal diseases, states, “Bacterial
pathogens that were treatable for decades are no longer responding to antibiotics,
including the newer ones.” Scientists have been working to produce new medicines to
keep up with the rise of drug-resistant bacteria, but it's a challenging challenge.
Dr. Jane Knisely, who directs NIH's drug-resistant bacteria study, says, "We need to
make the most use of the antibiotics we have because there aren't many in the antibiotic
discovery pipeline." “It's important to consider the right way to use these medications in
order to improve their potency without reducing the risk of resistance developing.”
Antibiotics can only be used when absolutely necessary to help slow the spread of drug-
resistant bacteria. If the health care professional recommends against it, don't insist on
an antibiotic. Many parents, for example, expect physicians to administer antibiotics for
their children's ear infections. However, in some circumstances, doctors consider
delaying antibiotics since often ear infections improve without them.
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have been researching whether
antibiotics are successful for treating such infections in the first place. Antibiotics could
be less successful than commonly believed in treating a serious form of sinus infection,
according to a new review. Antibiotic misuse and overuse can be avoided through
studies like this.
Dr. Julie Segre, a senior investigator at the National Institutes of Health, says, “Treating
diseases with antibiotics is something we want to protect for future generations, but we
shouldn't abuse them.”
Any of the most dangerous superbugs have historically been limited to health-care
environments. This is attributed to the fact that those who are ill or poor are more
vulnerable to infection. However, superbug infections aren't only found in hospitals. Any
strains are circulating in the population, and everyone may become sick, even healthy
people.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a common superbug that is rapidly being
used outside of hospitals. Methicillin and associated antibiotics have little effect on
these bacteria. MRSA can cause skin infections as well as pneumonia or bloodstream
infections in more severe situations.
A MRSA skin infection may manifest itself as one or more swollen, sore, or hot-to-the-
touch pimples or boils. Also a minor cut or scratch that comes into contact with these
bacteria may spread the infection. While many people recover from MRSA infections,
some cases can be fatal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that
over 80,000 aggressive MRSA diseases and 11,000 associated deaths occur in the
United States per year.
When antibiotics are required, doctors normally start with a mild antibiotic before going
on to something more aggressive, such as vancomycin. Newer antibiotics can be more
dangerous and costly than older antibiotics. Bacteria will inevitably develop resistance
to even new medicines. Some superbugs, such as vancomycin-resistant Enterococci
bacteria, have proved resistant to even this last-resort antibiotic in recent years.
“Antibiotics are important for modern health care,” Segre says. However, as a result of
the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria, “we're running out of new antibiotics to cure
bacterial infections,” and some of the more effective ones aren't performing as well.
Ideally, doctors would be able to quickly identify the right antibiotic to treat a particular
infection. But labs need days or even weeks to test and identify the bacteria strain. Until
the lab results come in, antibiotic treatment is often an educated guess.
“We need to know how to treat for a favorable outcome, but knowledge about the
infection can be several days away,” explains Dr. Vance Fowler, an infectious disease
expert at Duke University School of Medicine.
Fowler says faster diagnostic testing offers one of the best hopes for treating infectious
diseases. Technology is catching up, he says, and new research in this area looks
promising.
Genetic studies by NIH-supported researchers such as Segre and Fowler are also
helping us understand the unique characteristics of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Their
findings could point the way to innovative new treatments.
While scientists search for ways to beat back these stubborn bacteria, you can help by
preventing the spread of germs so we depend less on antibiotics in the first place.
The best way to prevent bacterial infections is by washing your hands frequently with
soap and water. It’s also a good idea not to share personal items such as towels or
razors. And use antibiotics only as directed. We can all do our part to fight drug-
resistant bacteria.
Reference Link: https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2014/02/stop-spread-superbugs