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How much do <i>you</i> know about the antibiotic crisis? Come find out. Its more important than you may think!

How much do you know about the antibiotic crisis? Come find out. Its more important than you may think!

How Much Do You Know About The Antibiotic Crisis?

Antibiotics were discovered in 1928 when alexander fleming found that a petri dish he carelessly left out had started to mold. However, he noticed that there was something about the mold that was killing the nearby bacteria he was cultivating. This was the discovery of penicillin, possibly the most famous antibiotic. Ever since then scientists have advanced antibiotic research, creating medicine to kill the harmful bacteria that cause infection and illness.

Sadly, antibiotics do not always work. There is a growing number of superbugs appearing around the world. Superbugs are bacteria that have developed an immunity, or resistance to many of our commonly used antibiotics.

Before WW2, antibiotics were not well known or produced on a large scale. That changed when WW2 broke out, and scientists such as Kenneth Raper searched for ways to mass produce penicillin to help the war effort.

Prior to WW2, what was the most leading cause of death?

The ESKAPE pathogens is an acronym for six of the most common antibiotic resistant bacteria. These pathogens are Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp.

What is the name of the most resistant group of bacteria?

Because superbugs are so resistant to the antibiotics we use, the victims may be incurable. This also means if there is a breakout of this new superbug, the pandemic would be almost impossible to stop, as we have no way of fighting it.

Bacteria always gain new mutations and evolve over time, but the overuse of antibiotics in farming and in human use has sped up the process of natural selection. When the few antibiotic resistant bacteria survive they live to go on and reproduce, passing their resistant to their offspring. Bacteria can also laterally transfer DNA, essentially ‘gifting’ new abilities and resistances to other bacteria.

HIV is caused by a virus that affects the victim’s immune system. Bubonic plague is caused by the bacteria Yersinia Pestis and is most commonly transmitted by fleas that have bitten an infected animal such as a rat. Tuberculosis is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, which attacks the lungs and still infects ⅓ of the world’s population.

The superbugs we’re fighting are resistant to our current antibiotics. To fight them we can find new effective antibiotics the bacteria are not resistant too. We can also lessen our current use of antibiotics to reduce the chance of superbugs arising, not giving them as much of a chance to grow resistant.

The soil contains 10^11 bacteria per gram, which is a massive number. The way scientists go about culturing bacteria is taking soil samples from around the world, screen the bacteria for antibiotic producers, isolate the chemical responsible, and then test to see if it is safe to use and is able to be produced on a large scale.

What is the most common place where scientists culture bacteria?

Go to http://www.smallworldinitiative.org/ to learn more about the bacterial issues facing humanity and how you can help!

You know some, but you can always know more! Head over to http://www.smallworldinitiative.org/ to learn more about this issue facing humanity.

Could be better...

Awesome! You know a good amount already! Now the next step is to head to http://www.smallworldinitiative.org/ to get involved and spread awareness of this issue.

Pretty good!

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How Much Do You Know About The Antibiotic Crisis?

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