Germs! They're all around us, they can spread quickly and they can be deadly and, with the increase in air travel, they easily cross borders. But what is most alarming is that new strains of bacteria are resistant to some of the most powerful drugs available. This is causing great concern among the medical community.
This emergence of drug-resistant bacteria has the potential to become a much more serious global threat. Because of the increasing population density and indiscretions in the area of public sanitation (i.e. garbage strikes, refuse on the street, people mindlessly secreting and excreting on our sidewalks, etc.), we are seeing a resurgence of many infectious diseases.
In Seattle, a strain of the common E. coli bacteria was found at a fast-food restaurant. It killed three children and left scores of others hospitalized. In New York City, an outbreak of an unusual type of strep bacteria that is capable of almost dissolving flesh has appeared. Part of the problem is sanitation, but part of the problem is personal awareness and hygiene. For example, when I used to work as a school physician, it was amazing to me how often children who were obviously ill, were still being sent to school by their parents. Kids with obvious fever, strep throat, rashes, and more were showing up and spreading germs among their classmates.
All of these factors contribute to the possibility of outbreaks. However , one of the major problems is that antibiotics have been used with fairly little discretion over the last couple of decades. Years ago, while working as an emergency room physician, if a child had a sore throat, swollen glands, a low-grade fever, aches and chills, and I did not offer a prescription for antibiotics, the parents would threaten to complain to the hospital authorities. Even though antibiotics are totally ineffective in treating the viral diseases that show these symptoms, people still expected them to be dispensed just in case.
Antibiotics have long been inappropriately prescribed for patients with common colds and other minor non-bacterial infections. The problem with that is twofold. On the one hand the antibiotics work as an evolutionary force, selecting for resistant bacteria and on the other hand many antibiotics are actually immunosuppressive. So what we wind up with are superbugs facing off against a population of people with weakened defenses, the results aren’t pretty!
Another problem occurs when patients prematurely stop taking their medication because the symptoms of their illness have disappeared. The disappearance of symptoms does not necessarily mean that the infection is cleared up. Therefore, stopping medication allows microbes not initially killed by the drugs to survive and develop resistance to the drugs.
This use, misuse and overuse of drugs have lead to the development of resistant strains of many common bacteria that used to be easily controlled. Bacteria are continually adapting and finding ways of resisting antibiotics. As a result, they can cause life-threatening diseases and show little, if any, response to even our most recent generation of antibacterial drugs. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 19,000 hospital patients die annually from antibiotic resistant infections, while another 58,000 die from complications caused by these infections. We see organisms causing life-threatening rashes, while tuberculosis and many other bacteria that used to be controlled are now running rampant through our schools, streets and places of business. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are also causing an increase in the number of cases of diarrheal illnesses, sexually transmitted diseases and respiratory infections. This trend is a very dangerous one. Unfortunately, now that the ball is in motion, there is no easy way to stop it using the same technology that caused the problem. We develop more and more powerful antibiotics which ultimately lead to more complex and more resistant strains of these organisms, and more esoteric manifestations of their diseases.
While virtually no sector of society is blameless, the biggest consumer of these antibiotics; by far, is the livestock industry. Most commercially raised animals are routinely fed antibiotics to fight infections. Some livestock, like chickens, are also given "sub-therapeutic doses" of antibiotics as a growth stimulant. Sadly, this means that many of these drugs wind up in our foods while they are still in an active form. Milk, for example, is allowed to contain eighty different antibiotics while still being labeled as fit for human consumption. These low doses of antibiotics allow for the breeding of resistant strains of bacteria in animals and humans.
How can we get out of this cycle? One possible way is through the use of immuno modulators and natural medicines that strengthen a person's immune defenses. This helps to both battle the bacteria successfully once it has attempted to establish an infection as well as to prevent these bugs from getting into our system to begin with.
In our cities, with their major congestion, people with compromised immune systems often carry many of these organisms with them and often spread them to other people. So, we must include a rise in public awareness and consciousness as part of any plan of action. We can do what the Japanese do and wear a mask when we have a cold or flu. This prevents the spread of germs to friends or loved ones. You should also avoid taking antibiotics for minor illnesses and infections, minimize your consumption of food that is high in antibiotics (red meat, chicken, dairy) and look for organically raised foods. It is also good to try to do things that naturally raise the functioning of your own immune system by reducing stress and adding immune system building nutrients to your diet (i.e. vitamin c, zinc, beta-carotene, garlic) will also help. Last but not least you must be aware of your environment. At home, you should keep meat cold until cooking it, and then cook it well. Watch expiration dates on food containers and discard any canned goods if the can starts to bulge. Finally, when you are acutely ill - stay at home!!!!
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