Deadly Bacteria

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/06/health/deadly-drug-resistant-infections-rise-in-hospitals-report-warns.html?ref=health

            Deadly, drug resistant bacteria are starting to spread to hospitals around the country. The bacteria that is usually found in the gut has recently gained a new deadly trait, now even resistant to the strongest antibiotics there is a limited amount of time to stop the spreading into communities out of the hospital. When the bacteria spreads to other parts of the body the effects are deadly, and it can even be untreatable. Dr. Thomas R Frieden calls them “nightmare bacteria” and says that they could pass the trait for drug resistance along to other bacteria via plasmids. Carbapenem-resistant types of gut bacteria have risen to 4% in 2012 compared to 1% in 2001. 42 states have suffered outbreaks of carbapenem-resistant types of bacteria. While the bacterium has stayed in hospitals and nursing homes, health professionals are recommending cleaning all surfaces and lots of hand washing.

            If the bacterium continues to spread, the number of deaths could rise, leading us into an epidemic of deadly bacteria. While hospitals are a place to help people recover from illness, people could end up picking up the bacteria and not receiving side effects until after they leave spreading the bacteria to the public. If the bacterium is not controlled it could spread to other viruses and bacteria such as the flu, making flu season harder to deal with. The drug companies that produce antibiotics could be facing a problem of how to create an even more powerful antibiotic then the ones already out there.

            California residents should be wary of this, as the bacteria spreads, precautions should be taken to keep your family well. Residents should be aware of hospitals and nursing homes that are suffering from the bacteria currently and avoid those places as much as possible unless it’s urgent. If residents choose to ignore this the bacteria could easily spread to other places, making it harder to stay well, and changing lives of families. Since there are no antibiotics able to defeat these bacteria people should be cautious about their actions and washing their hands and cleaning surfaces in their homes and offices as much as possible.