New superbug resistant to last-line of antibiotics: study

[Little Tich]

Source: Yahoo! News / AFP

Paris (AFP) - Scientists warned Thursday of the "epidemic potential" of deadly and fast-spreading bacteria resistant to last-line antibiotics.

The new superbugs, found in southern China, could erase nearly a century of antibiotic protection against killer diseases born by common germs such as E. coli, the researchers reported in a study.

"These are extremely worrying results," said Jian-Hua Liu, a professor at Southern Agricultural University in Guangzhou and co-author of the study.

Liu and colleagues found a gene, called MCR-1, that makes bacteria resistant to a class of antibiotics, known as polymyxins, used to fight superbugs.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/invincible-bacteria-threatens-global-epidemic-study-072950819.html

[geomon666]

1. It was only a matter of time. n/t

[phantom power]

2. oopsie

[rurallib]

3. we won't care until they stage a terrorist attack

[jeff47]

4. The fact that it's on a plasmid is what makes this far worse.

If it was within the "regular" genes, it would be hard for the resistance to move between species.

You can think of a plasmid as a virus, except it doesn't harm the bacteria. It just happily copies itself from bacteria to bacteria. Across many species.

Which means non-lethal bacteria form a lovely reservoir for the plasmid. Since they don't cause infection, they won't be "treated". But they can pass the plasmid on to species that do cause infection.

Also, apparently China's been lying about keeping this antibiotic as a "last resort" and has been giving it to livestock routinely.

[DhhD]

9. Plasmids make molecules that cause the resistance to an antibiotic.

https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0LEVyvznE5WLbAAFY9XNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTExaGdwY3JjBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDVUlDMl8xBHNlYwNzYw--?p=Bacterial+Cell+With+a+Plasmid&fr=sfp

[BigDemVoter]

5. This is definitely a serious public health threat.

I've been an RN for years and have slogged through my time in plenty of different Intensive Care Unit environments ranging from Cardiothoracic ICU (Open Heart) to Trauma/Surgical ICU. It is an objective fact that we are quickly running through universally effective antibiotics, and there are some ugly, ugly bugs out there. I've seen people have their sternums infected after open heart surgery, and then they proceeded to have their sternums actually sawed out of their bodies with a little flap of skin that covers the heart until other arrangements have been made. It's always startling to see the visible heart beat against that thin skin, as the infected bone had to come out. Few antibiotics work on this shit, and I would say that most patients who get it have a pretty unfortunate and unhappy outcome.

Just wait till this new shit hits the world's oscillating fan. Companies don't want to invest a lot in antibiotics, as they bitch that they're too expensive to make and don't produce the obscene profits they are always seeking (and getting).

NOT TO MENTION, that antibiotics do NOT work on colds, or ANY other virus. Nurses are supposed to know this, but I can't count the number of ignorant souls who run to their primary care giver(s) and demand a "Z Pack." Hell, add this shit and the antibiotic prophylaxis to what is already being forced down chickens', cows' and hogs' gullets. It's no wonder there's a super bug lurking. But I can assure you that after 25 years of clinical practice, I do NOT want to be somebody who catches one of those ugly little things. As I said, it is not a pleasant detour to take, and it often ends in mean little way.

[truedelphi]

6. I live in a land of the wonderful and prolific black walnut trees.

I use a home made black walnut tincture for a lot of things.

A tonic, when my energy lags, and even a measure against infection if I suffer a bad cut.

I keep wondering if we will finally return to utilizing some of the natural plant medicines.

I am not saying this is my preference, but if we are going down the road of no longer being able to rely on the usual antibiotics, maybe the black walnut trees can help us out!

[BigDemVoter]

8. It's interesting what works.

Think of quinine that comes from the bark of some kind of tree. I think it was "discovered" because an indigenous civilization used it for fever control, etc. It turns out that it is actually a very effective treatment for malaria, but of course there are mutations, so the quinine has had to mutate also.

It is true that there are several effective homeopathic remedies for headache, etc. I admit that I don't use them for headaches; I usually hit headaches with Exedrin or BC Powder early, but otherwise, I avoid taking shit.

[William Seger]

15. "effective homeopathic remedies" ?

Most people are not surprised that "homeopathic remedies" (a.k.a distilled water) are found to be exactly as effective as sugar pills.

[Orangepeel]

23. Many people (incorrectly) say "homeopathic" when they mean "home remedy"

[jeff47]

13. Most antibiotics are actually "natural"

In that they were being produced by some sort of creature.

The antibiotics that are given to patients are purified, and usually more concentrated. It's not like you actually want to smear fungus in an infected wound to get penicillin.

[riversedge]

17. I use black walnuts to get the worms out ot the ground for fishing...

I crush them (with outside green covering) and let soak for about 5mintues. Don't know why but when pour into ground (find a low spot on lawn--works better) --within minutes I have a dozen or two crawling out--. Kids sure love to get involved in this activity--even if they have no patience for fishing (well--first 5 to 10minutes if that long)

[truedelphi]

24. Great story. I do wonder, though -

Black walnut has a pungent and most distasteful taste (at least the extract does.)

Do fish bite the worms?

[jeff47]

10. I've often wished they would start advertising a new miracle antibiotic

Called placebo-in. Just for the patients you describe.

[Aristus]

14. My patients know better than to 'demand' anything from me.

I treat with antibiotics very conservatively, (probably the only conservative thing about me...)
And patients learned a long time ago not to come to me with "I've got a cold. Can you just give me some antibiotics?"

Patient education is my favorite part of the job, and encouraging people to stop viewing antimicrobials as magic cure-alls is a big part of my clinical practice. I tell my patients that for a common, garden-variety viral upper respiratory infection, I'll treat their symptoms, and tell them to get plenty of rest, and drink lots of water.

I'm hoping medical professionals like you and me can help stem the tide of clinical overtreatment with antibiotics.

[caprichoso]

7. Hopefully in a few months

An antidote will have been found.

[jeff47]

11. This isn't an "antidote" situation. The drug doesn't work anymore.

Fixing this requires developing a new antibiotic.

However, that's really expensive. And if one is developed, it will be held back as the "last line of defense", resulting in very little sales in the short-term. Which means the pharmaceutical industry is not that interested in doing the development work.

[NNadir]

19. I saw this after the development of lineazolid.

It was an entirely new class of antibiotic developed at Pharmacia at a pretty high cost. Doctors used it rarely however, saving it for the patient for whom all else failed.

Pfizer bought Pharmacia, marketed lineazolid as a broad spectrum, paid a huge fine for that marketing (not that they cared), and of course, there are now lineazolid resistant strains of bacteria.

The way the system of drug development works today, it is not really profitable to design new antibiotics. Drugs that are designed to be maintenance drugs, like blood pressure medicines, are profitable. Basically, it now costs so much to develop a drug that a drug that actually cures a disease is less attractive than a drug that treats a symptom long term. In the case of antibiotics, it's left to "charities" like, for example, the Gates Foundation, which is working on treatments for drug resistant tuberculosis, to develop them.

Our government at this time is reducing at an alarming rate, the funding for basic science, putting us on a path to third world status.

Our farming practices, particularly those involving meat, are also a big part of the problem.

[w0nderer]

12. K & R N/T

[IcyPeas]

16. most of the antibiotics go to farm animals (Consumer Reports)

"The overuse of antibiotics in farm animals along with the conditions that animals are raised creates an environment for resistance to develop and spread," Rangan said.


http://abc7ny.com/food/consumer-reports-antibiotics-in-meat-lessens-drug-effectiveness/1089800/

[DhhD]

18. Genetic medicine using your own cells.

https://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=AwrBT79RCk9WYGoAGmOl87UF;_ylc=X1MDOTU4MTA0NjkEX3IDMgRmcgMEZ3ByaWQDV0NKd0E2OU5Ub2FFa2ZJWHlQOHN2QQRuX3JzbHQDMARuX3N1Z2cDNgRvcmlnaW4Dc2VhcmNoLnlhaG9vLmNvbQRwb3MDMARwcXN0cgMEcHFzdHJsAwRxc3RybAM2MQRxdWVyeQNVc2Ugb2YgVC1DZWxsIGFuZCBCLUNlbGwgcmVzaXN0YW5jZSBmb3IgYWlyYm91cm5lIHRveGljIGdlbmVzBHRfc3RtcAMxNDQ4MDIwNTk1?p=Use+of+T-Cell+and+B-Cell+resistance+for+airbourne+toxic+genes&fr=sfp&fr2=sb-top-search&iscqry=

[Oneironaut]

20. Humans are afraid to admit: the world is going to have an 'adjustment' soon.

We think that we can beat nature, and maybe we can, but conditions are perfect for a worldwide epidemic now to the extent that it's shocking one hasn't happened yet.

[Delphinus]

21. I hear

what you are saying.

[Javaman]

22. here come the plague, here come the plague, order in the world, cause here come the plague. nt