Antibiotics vital for fighting drug resistant superbugs drastically overused in many countries, WHO report warns
Independent.co.uk
November 12, 2018
Summary:
Researchers have found that many of the last line of defense antibiotics are being frequently prescribed in developing countries. In developed countries these drugs account for a small percentage of prescriptions and are usually not available for animals. However some reports indicate that last line drugs may account for upwards of half of all prescriptions, and they are often prescribed for things that they do not even treat such as viruses.
Connections:
We have discussed in class about pandemics; we have also touched on resistance and evolution of microbes. We have discussed how microbes rule the world, a fact which may soon become very apparent if the liberal use of last line drugs continue.
Critical analysis:
I found this article interesting as I have always heard of how a “superbug’ would one day surface. I knew that the use of older antibiotics was widespread however I was not aware of the abuse of last line drugs.
Question:
New drugs will likely be needed in the near future to combat drug resistant bacteria. What avenues of treatment are not fully exploited by current drugs that could help in the future?
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