Bacteria Rule the World

Did you know that there are more bacteria cells than human cells in your body? Sometimes, bacteria can cause a serious infection, which calls for a course of antibiotics that can either kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria. There is no disputing that antibiotics are incredibly successful and have saved millions of lives, but the main problem is that the overuse of antibiotics leads to bacterial resistance and our antibiotic development can’t catch up with the rate of bacterial evolution. Antibiotics take a billion dollars and ten years of research and testing to create whereas bacteria are significantly more efficient in traveling around and gene-sharing. Another problem is when antibiotics are not taken to their completion, some bacteria may be left behind, which are more likely to be resistant. When they reproduce, they pass on the genes that create the resistance. The evolution of bacterial resistance mostly takes place in hospitals where patients are sicker and more powerful antibiotics or increased dosages are used.
We now have four main types of superbugs. The first of these is MRSA or Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus. This is a very common bug that lives on our skin and creates many infections, especially wound infections. Hospitals now check all new patients for this bug in order to prevent its spread. The next two on the list are gut bacteria— carbapenem-resistant Enterococcus (CRE) and clostridium difficile (CDIF). The fourth is a well-known bug— Neisseria gonorrhoeae. This superbug was initially sensitive to penicillin but has since developed resistance towards that antibiotic. The fear is that some bugs will become resistant to all antibiotics. Everytime we take an antibiotic, we risk creating stronger bacteria. The stronger bacterial resistance grows, the less effective our antibiotics will render, and the more susceptible people will be to infections. This is why we must change the way and the frequency at which we use antibiotics.

Swimming E.Coli Bacteria

Picture Source: Sciencenews.org