Deadly Bacteria That Resist Strongest Drugs Are Spreading

Denise Grady
New York Times
March 5, 2013
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/06/health/deadly-drug-resistant-infections-rise-in-hospitals-report-warns.html?ref=science&_r=0

Summary:

According to the article, a certain pathogenic bacteria that is resistant to even the strongest antibiotics is becoming more and more frequent in hospitals across the United States. These bacteria are normally found in the human gut, but because of frequent antibiotic exposure they have become highly resistant to all known antibiotics, including carbapenems, which are usually a last resort antibiotic for doctors trying to cure the disease. One of the most dangerous features of the bacteria is that the pathogenic genes are located on a plasmid, so that it can be easily passed along to other bacteria. So far, the illness has only been found in those that are already severely ill and the disease has not yet spread beyond hospitals. However, it could easily spread outside of hospitals if it is not quickly treated. Forty two states have had cases of carbapenem-resistant infections, but the problem is most serious in the Northeast, especially New York City. Hospitals are now urged to do all possible measures to contain such a bacteria, which includes prescribing antibiotics only when they are needed.

 

Relevance:

This article is greatly relevant to our previous unit in biology and our term lab. Last unit, we learnt about bacteria and we also talked a lot about the problem of antibiotic resistance. Also, our term lab was about the use of natural substances to inhibit bacterial growth. Lastly, the article talks about plasmids, which we learnt about in the unit.