4 ms·

Where does the worry come from regarding drug resistant bacteria why would that worry not have a viral analog?

• heavyset_go 4y ago
  Drug-resistant bacteria are the result of misuse and incomplete use of antibiotics, and the environmental spread from waste of antibiotics. Also, bacteria can share genes horizontally, meaning resistance in one species can transfer to another quickly. Antibiotic resistance in bacteria is mainly from misuse in humans and animals, and disease spread between the two, along with ineffective waste treatment and the leaching of antibiotics into the environment[1]. About 80% of antibiotics sold in the US are used in agriculture[2], where they are given to animals not to treat infections, but to prevent them and to stimulate growth. Over 60% of infectious diseases in humans are spread from animals, and 75% of new diseases in humans are spread from animals[3]. Shooting a few micrograms of vaccines into humans' arms is nowhere near the scale of antibiotic use or accumulation in the environment. It's also possible to achieve herd immunity with vaccines, whereas antibiotics do not leave lasting immunity. To be effective, antibiotics must be taken when there's a bacterial infection, and their effectiveness diminishes as they leave the body. Are these "worries" consistent? Where is the worry that polio vaccination might create worse strains of polio? [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antimicrobial_resistance https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antimicrobial_resistance [2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4638249/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4638249/ [3] https://www.cdc.gov/onehealth/basics/zoonotic-diseases.html https://www.cdc.gov/onehealth/basics/zoonotic-diseases.html
  • peteradio 4y ago
    Thanks!