Health News: ARB
Losing the Fight Against Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
By Abraham Carrillo
Ever since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, people have been justifiably paranoid about a new virus taking the world by storm once again. What the public doesn’t realize, however, is that it’s not going to be any new viruses causing mass illness, but rather the bacteria that may be right under their noses. The rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) continues and moreover has been present for over 70 years before the pandemic started in 2020.
Vigorous Bacteria on the Attack
For those who don’t know, ARBs are a strain of bacteria that evolves after generations upon generations in an extreme environment filled with antibiotics (bacteria-killing medicine). An ARB becomes stronger over time and may even develop an immunity to antibiotics, making antibiotics an ineffective treatment for a person’s illness. These new strains of ARBs, known as superbugs, can become overpowered and make the illnesses they cause much more catastrophic than regular bacterial strains. The first known example of an antibiotic-resistant bacteria emerged in the 1940s when the bacterial species of streptococcus and gonococci built up a resistance to antibiotics. According to the News-Medical article on the origins of antibiotic resistance biologist Sophia Coveney writes that, “Resistance first presented a major issue to antibiotic use with the treatment of tuberculosis.” Coveney explains that the reason for our current rise in ARBs is once again the misuse of antibiotics.
The CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Protection, have described the correct usage of antibiotics. Reputable doctors, biologists, and virologists from the site explain that antibiotics should only be used on the corresponding infections they treat, such as whooping cough or strep throat. They should NOT be used for viruses like the flu, or common bacterial infections, like many sinus infections. Antibiotics should NEVER be used when not necessary, yet the average person with limited knowledge of medicine still takes them regardless. In the current day, one big offender in the misuse of antibiotics is the meat industry. Of all the antibiotics sold in the US, 80%, and 70% worldwide, are used on and/or fed to livestock. Their purpose in doing so is to treat infections and to enhance their growth, meaning bigger profit. From this excessive use of antibiotics, ARBs are created in the animals’ bodies until it is eventually slaughtered and shipped to grocery stores for human consumption. Because of this overuse of antibiotics, our food becomes tainted and makes way for deadly diseases, like mad cow disease: a disease that slowly eats at your brain, to infect our steaks, burgers, and chicken sandwiches.
How ARBs Augment Illnesses
So why should we, the human species, care? ARBs evolve to thrive and multiply in an environment that otherwise would effectively kill them. And this is a huge problem for those that wish to live long healthy lives. Local germaphobe and self-proclaimed “never been sick” G.H.S. student, Daniel Morales tells our reporters that his secret to his good health is by taking a lot of antibiotics. “If I’m feeling a bit down, I take some vitamins and hope for the best,” Morales told a GHS reporter. Although most vitamins are not considered antibiotics, vitamins c and e are, as they have remarkable antimicrobial activity, which Morales proclaimed he took a “buttload of.”
The problem with ARBs is that if left unchecked, they will spread quickly through the world population, which culminates in a brand new pandemic. When modern medicine is not able to keep up with bacteria that can become immune to treatments we will no longer be able to rely on existing antibiotics. And it’s a problem more widespread than people may believe. ARBs don’t just affect people fighting Tuberculosis as mentioned before. Virologists see ARBs at work in different cases of pneumonia, gonorrhea, and salmonellosis. Diseases that were once easily treatable, when weaponized by antibiotic immunity become a nightmare for doctors to fight once again.
Due to the many forms ARBs take, they can taint the meat we eat and even the air we breathe. One of the most common cases of ARBs is known as MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), and, according to a recent study, we should be wary of what it can do. Mayo Clinic, an online medical forum for the top-ranked hospital in the U.S., defines MRSA as “[an] infection caused by a type of staph bacteria that's become resistant to many of the antibiotics used to treat ordinary staph infections.” The page further explains how the bacteria can develop an infection that spreads throughout your entire body called sepsis. Sepsis is described as, "A life-threatening episode when your blood pressure drops to an extremely low level." This infection linked with MRSA was directly related to over 100,000 deaths at Oxford University. But the overall worst part about MRSA is how easily it can spread. Mayo Clinic further explains, "Staph bacteria can also be spread from person to person. Because staph bacteria are so hardy, they can live on objects such as pillowcases or towels long enough to transfer to the next person who touches them." Since the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Protection) reports ARBs kill roughly over 1 million people worldwide and are linked to 5 million deaths currently, it’s clear that if they combine with already deadly bacteria such as MRSA, then deaths worldwide could rise to 7 or even 10 million.
If we don’t take action ARBs will be a problem later, the last few decades of advancements in modern medicine will be rendered useless, and humanity no better off against TB, VRE, CRE, etc., than we were living in the 1800s.
What Can We Do to Reduce the Damage?
The best solution and most obvious is for people to stop overusing and over-reliant on antibiotics, especially corporate farmers in the meat industry. The CDC states that the best preventative practices for individuals include: you should only taking antibiotics when prescribed by a doctor and follow the prescribed dosage. Never share antibiotics with others or use leftover antibiotics. Other effective methods for preventing the contraction and spread of ARBs include practicing good hygiene, like washing the hands regularly with soap and water and covering the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing. Osman M. Numair, M.D. of Central Coast Allergy & Asthma in Salinas, CA also recommends cooking meat thoroughly and handle it properly to avoid foodborne illnesses. “A good countermeasure to… [ARBs] is to cook your beef to recommended temperature in case of it being tainted,” Dr. Numair told the Bruins Eye reporter. Staying up to date with vaccinations to prevent infections also better equips the immune system to build its own immunity to certain viruses. If we can take measures to actively prevent the spread of ARBs, then there is hope for the survival of the human species after all.