Humans, like never before are now at risk of massive deaths, the likes of a World War! TB, Pneumonia, Typhoid, Cholera are going to start killing us again in large numbers like they did before 1929. It sounds unreal, right? Better believe it, simple bacterial diseases that we treat ‘effortlessly now’ used to be a death sentence just a hundred years ago. The American civil war and the first world war both lost more men to bacterial infections than bullets largely because of the lack of antibiotics. Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria is said to have died from Typhoid in 1861. Today, a 14-day course of antibiotics would have prevented his untimely death and saved the Queen a lifetime of mourning.
Imagine a world like the one Queen Victoria lived in, watching your loved ones or perhaps yourself die from such things like pneumonia and Typhoid. Well, don’t think too hard- we are already on our way to such a ‘world’ and people are already dying from such ‘simple illness’. Not yet in large numbers I agree but we will definitely get the large numbers, it is a matter of time and short time at that
Increasingly, one after another, antibiotics are no longer as effective as they used to be and it’s going to get worse! Some may have already noticed that it is getting longer for them to get better when they catch a germ.
How did we get here?
The answer is simple. It is by self-destruction!
We brought this on ourselves and we are still busy bringing it on ourselves.
For example, in the developed world, an area of concern is the use of antibiotics on the farms to breed animals. Nothing wrong with treating a sick animal with antibiotics but the use of antibiotics on a large scale to increase production and prevent disease is a big reason why we have resistance to antibiotics today. It is also a common practice to inject chicken eggs with antibiotics before they hatch.
When antibiotics are given to a large number of animals in a crowded, filthy environment (where they live in their poos, have cuts on their skin) you have created the right environment for the creation of bacteria resistance. The right combination of these resistant genes and bad germs create very ferocious pathogens.
It so happens that resistance to the antibiotic Tylosin in animals means that if you are exposed to that animal product you may also develop Erythromycin resistance which is antibiotic used in human beings. (cross-resistance)
Sometimes, using one antibiotic makes the body resistant to another for example resistance to tetracycline used in animals can lead to ceftriaxone resistance used in human beings. (co-resistance)
In the developing world, the story is not any better. The practice of self-treatment is common, incomplete use of antibiotics because you feel better ‘early’ or can’t afford the whole course is a doorway to resistance in these poorer nations. All these breed ferocious germs.
All nations need to put policies in place to safeguard the use of antibiotics. World War 3 is here folks – it is against the superbug because of our bad practices and the end of mankind may just be near. You think I am being melodramatic? Think hard, think again!
Well said and well done! You’re very right….that explains the increase in MRSA patients in the hospitals these days. It will be a disaster down the road if things continue down this path. I enjoyed reading the article.
Thanks Foluke, i hope the powers that be act now rather than later. I suspect the Agric industrial mafias have a hold of the politicians hence the delay.