An outbreak of antibiotic resistant infections in California is highlighting the danger of antibiotic overuse.
Patients treated at UCLA’s Ronald Reagan Medical Center have been exposed to an organism classified as Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), from a scope that carried the resistant bacteria. So far two patients have died and over 175 more are believed to have been exposed. The CDC is currently investigating the issue and trying to determine why the scope was not adequately cleaned to avoid transmission between patients.
What Are Resistant Bacteria?
Resistant bacteria develop after exposure to antibiotics. The few bacteria that survive antibiotic treatment mutate or change to adapt to that antibiotic. These bacteria then multiply and the next infection is much less susceptible to antibiotic treatment.
There are two main causes of resistant bacteria: overuse of antibiotics to treat human illnesses, and excessive use of antibiotics in farm animals.
Human Use of Antibiotics
Antibiotics do not cure viral infections. If you have a cold or flu it is likely that you have a virus. Antibiotics will not help you get better, and instead increase the risk that your body contributes to the development of resistant bacteria.
When you do have a bacterial infection it’s extremely important you finish all of your antibiotics. This increases the likelihood all the bacteria will be killed. If you stop taking your medication the last few days you create an ideal environment for the few remaining bacteria to mutate and become resistant. Always talk to your doctor about the best treatment for your illness.
Excessive Farm use of Antibiotics
The medical profession has been warning about the creation of resistant bacteria in livestock for nearly a decade, but farm lobbies and factory farms ignore the message and continue to heavily medicate their animals. “The emergence of antibiotic resistance on farms where livestock are routinely treated with antimicrobials has been well documented” (JAMA, 2007). Because of over-crowding and poor sanitization, many animals raised for meat are at high risk for developing infections.
“According to microbiologist Dr. Glenn Morris, the problem for humans is that if a person ingests the resistant bacteria via improperly cooked meat and becomes ill, he or she may not respond to antibiotic treatment.” The World Health Organization recently recommended use of antibiotics in animals be reduced to protect human health (JAMA, 2011).
As a consumer, one way you can avoid contributing to this issue is by only buying organically raised meat. Also communicate with restaurants or food chains you frequent to share your concerns and request they provide meat raised without the use of antibiotics and hormones.
Long Term Implications
We rely on antibiotics for everything from skin infections and ear infections to recovering from severe illnesses and accidents. If bacteria become resistant to our treatments we will face significantly increased death rates from causes that were once treatable. In other words, we go back in time to when a tooth abscess may lead to death.
Kuehn, B, (2007) Antibiotic-Resistant “Superbugs” May Be Transmitted From Animals to Humans; Journal of the American Medical Association 298(18):2125-212
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
