3 ms·
This might be a bit of an unpopular opinion, but I think that using antibiotics unless you [absolutely] have to - like when you get one prescribed - is a proble
by FBISurveillance 5y ago
This might be a bit of an unpopular opinion, but I think that using antibiotics unless you [absolutely] have to - like when you get one prescribed - is a problem if you think long-term because of a higher chance of antibiotics resistance. Using antibiotics "just in case" should be avoided.
Here's an example of E. coli developing resistance to a _strong_ antibiotic within 12 days [0].
Unfortunately, I know more than a few people who take antibiotics even when they get common cold/flu, which doesn't make sense since viruses are not bacteria and they should get vaccinated instead.
[0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDa4-nSc7J8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDa4-nSc7J8
- Sharlin 5y agoI really hope that’s not an unpopular opinion on a site like Hacker News. Misuse (could even call it abuse, especially in the case of livestock) of antibiotics is a direct cause of antibiotics rapidly becoming less useful.
- Akronymus 5y agoOh yeah, mareks disease. Quite deadly, but the vaccine keeps the chickens alive. So, any non-vaccinated chicken is likely dead within days. Allegedly almost all chickens have it.
- xorcist 5y agoUnpopular? Antibiotic resistance is one of our more severe public health problems globally, and it's only getting worse. It's not controversial that the two big drivers of this problem are the countries where antibiotics are available over-the-counter, and the widespread use of antibiotics in livestock. These practices must end if we want to be able to keep using antibiotics to save lives in the future, and it is a question of policy alone.