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| Author: United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
The overuse and misuse
of antibiotics meant to fight infections by killing or inhibiting the growth of
disease-causing bacteria are increasingly becoming ineffective. Dr. Margaret
Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization, reports, “Things as common as strep throat or a child’s scratched knee could
once again kill.”
The CDC Threat Report
2013 claims, “Each year in the United States, at least 2 million people
become infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics and at least
23,000 people die each year as a direct result of these infections. Many more
people die from other conditions that were complicated by an
antibiotic-resistant infection.”
The problem is that we have known that bacteria can adapt to
their environment for 70 years. In 1943, scientists
discovered that bacteria could mutate and become antibiotic-resistant. In
1945, biologist Alexander Fleming warned that the misuse
of penicillin could make bacteria resistant to it.
Meanwhile, the medical profession, patients and the public
at large, agribusinesses and the meat producing industries have been aware of
the consequences of the overuse and misuse of antibiotics. Yet, all failed to take
any meaningful action.
Physicians overprescribe.
Patients take antibiotics not as prescribed. People self-treat ailments by
using not prescribed antibiotics from their medicine cabinet that were suitable
for an earlier infection but may not be for their current illness. Some people acquire
antibiotics without a prescription.
Additionally, the food industry kills more than 10 billion food animals a year for
food in the United States. The amount of antibiotics used to feed these
animals is huge (seventy percent of the antibiotic used is for promoting growth
and not to prevent diseases in livestock and poultry). Estimated at 29.9
million pounds sold to meat and
poultry producers in 2011, antibiotics represent huge profits for the
pharmaceutical companies that produce these antibiotics. It’s a massive market
that they will fight tooth and nail to protect.
And, adding to the problem, antibiotics are not as profitable
as the blockbuster drugs. Therefore, pharmaceutical companies are not going to
invest in making new antibiotics or medications that may solve the problem.
Ultimately, the problem boils down to our acquiescence in
allowing this to happen and a drive for profit by the pharmaceutical companies
who could lead the way to solving this problem, but instead value money over
the wellbeing of people.
(A version of this article was first published
on the Yahoo Contributors Network on November 20, 2013)
Copyright © 2014 Horatio Green
