5 ms·

The are three solutions needed here : 1. Stricter regulation of antibiotics, particularly in farming. 2. Better government funding of antibiotic discovery. 3

by searine 10y ago

The are three solutions needed here : 1. Stricter regulation of antibiotics, particularly in farming. 2. Better government funding of antibiotic discovery. 3. Stricter regulation of antibiotic use. No solo-drugs, all antibiotics used in stacks of 3 or more. Better monitoring of complete antibiotic use cycles. Biologic resistance can be managed, HIV is more than enough evidence of it working. We have to get serious about it, the age of reckless antibiotic use needs to end, now.

semi-extrinsic 10y ago
I'm going to go out on a limb here, and say antibiotics overuse in third world countries is a big part of the problem, and the hardest one to fix. This is purely from anecdotes, but I've heard from several friends who were exchange students from Pakistan/China/India that we have such a ridiculous system here, that back home they can just buy random antibiotics from the pharmacy whenever they catch a cold.
- spoofball 10y ago
  Biggest problem is animal agriculture. The use of extremely aggressive antibiotics increases muscle growth, improves health and eventually leads to larger profit. 150 billion land animals raised yearly are a big evolutionary pool of bacteria. To become resistant to antibiotics takes much less time when you run the experiment in parallel 150 billion times per year, than a couple hundred million in humans. One strain, isolated in one of the 150 billion animals can become resistant and spread around the farm. If it goes unnoticed it can quickly spread over the country.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- janvidar 10y ago
  The problem is that antibiotics is simply too cheap. The next generations will be a lot more expensive due to the cost of developing it. Sadly, this means that many will die not affording the medicine.
- nommm-nommm 10y ago
  >back home they can just buy random antibiotics from the pharmacy whenever they catch a cold. Yeah, and they resell them on Amazon so Americans can have the same access.[1] [1] http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2014/05/amazon_illegal_drugs_muscle_relaxants_steroids_prescription_drugs_delivered.html http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_exa...
- eloff 10y ago
  In Latin America too. And worse yet almost everyone grows up thinking you treat a cold with antibiotics. Doctors prescribe antibiotics, knowing full well it does no good, but they have to justify their fee. I tried in vain many a time to convince a person that antibiotics are pointless against a virus, and the common cold is a virus, ergo don't buy antibiotics. But the behavior was too ingrained to sway anyone.
  - outworlder 10y ago
    Not my experience in Brazil. Can't buy antibiotics at pharmacies without prescription. Most doctors will not prescribe them for viral infections, even though they will prescribe something, as it is expected by the population. Maybe you'll find doctors that will prescribe antibiotics for anything, but the amount of required paperwork seems to be eliminating the practice successfully.
    - eloff 10y ago
      Brazil is somewhat more... I want to say civilized but that seems overly mean. It's more modern in many respects than the rest of south and central america.
- hanklazard 10y ago
  That's definitely been my experience. A few years ago, I went to a pharmacy in Thailand with what was clearly a common cold. Instead of handing me the Sudafed I wanted, the pharmacist recommended I take a weeks supply of low-dose amoxicillin. Not only would this do absolutely nothing for my viral cold, it would have increased the risk of creating amox-resistant bacteria in body. Truly concerning to imagine how often this scenario repeats itself every day all over the world ...
  - Cerium 10y ago
    Exactly, I was in China and had a fairly bad sore throat. I didn't really think it was bacterial, and it ended up being just a cold. I went to a doctor (roll up door in a street). He shined a light in my mouth and decided that I should take vitamin C and some antibiotics. I paid about 2 USD for the whole experience, pills included.

by searine 10y ago

semi-extrinsic 10y ago

I'm going to go out on a limb here, and say antibiotics overuse in third world countries is a big part of the problem, and the hardest one to fix. This is purely from anecdotes, but I've heard from several friends who were exchange students from Pakistan/China/India that we have such a ridiculous system here, that back home they can just buy random antibiotics from the pharmacy whenever they catch a cold.

spoofball 10y ago
Biggest problem is animal agriculture. The use of extremely aggressive antibiotics increases muscle growth, improves health and eventually leads to larger profit. 150 billion land animals raised yearly are a big evolutionary pool of bacteria. To become resistant to antibiotics takes much less time when you run the experiment in parallel 150 billion times per year, than a couple hundred million in humans. One strain, isolated in one of the 150 billion animals can become resistant and spread around the farm. If it goes unnoticed it can quickly spread over the country.
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
janvidar 10y ago
The problem is that antibiotics is simply too cheap. The next generations will be a lot more expensive due to the cost of developing it. Sadly, this means that many will die not affording the medicine.
nommm-nommm 10y ago
>back home they can just buy random antibiotics from the pharmacy whenever they catch a cold. Yeah, and they resell them on Amazon so Americans can have the same access.[1] [1] http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2014/05/amazon_illegal_drugs_muscle_relaxants_steroids_prescription_drugs_delivered.html http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_exa...
eloff 10y ago
In Latin America too. And worse yet almost everyone grows up thinking you treat a cold with antibiotics. Doctors prescribe antibiotics, knowing full well it does no good, but they have to justify their fee. I tried in vain many a time to convince a person that antibiotics are pointless against a virus, and the common cold is a virus, ergo don't buy antibiotics. But the behavior was too ingrained to sway anyone.
- outworlder 10y ago
  Not my experience in Brazil. Can't buy antibiotics at pharmacies without prescription. Most doctors will not prescribe them for viral infections, even though they will prescribe something, as it is expected by the population. Maybe you'll find doctors that will prescribe antibiotics for anything, but the amount of required paperwork seems to be eliminating the practice successfully.
  - eloff 10y ago
    Brazil is somewhat more... I want to say civilized but that seems overly mean. It's more modern in many respects than the rest of south and central america.
hanklazard 10y ago
That's definitely been my experience. A few years ago, I went to a pharmacy in Thailand with what was clearly a common cold. Instead of handing me the Sudafed I wanted, the pharmacist recommended I take a weeks supply of low-dose amoxicillin. Not only would this do absolutely nothing for my viral cold, it would have increased the risk of creating amox-resistant bacteria in body. Truly concerning to imagine how often this scenario repeats itself every day all over the world ...
- Cerium 10y ago
  Exactly, I was in China and had a fairly bad sore throat. I didn't really think it was bacterial, and it ended up being just a cold. I went to a doctor (roll up door in a street). He shined a light in my mouth and decided that I should take vitamin C and some antibiotics. I paid about 2 USD for the whole experience, pills included.