It is good that humans continue to challenge antibiotic use out of the fear of superbugs. The press is often quick to condemn the negative resulting in a new wave of “I told you so” public opinion. Like it or not, this column in the Washington Post does not bode well for continuing antibiotic use. Worth noting is that printed circulation is upwards of 440,000 and there were 71.6 million unique website visitors in December of 2015, according to comScore.
Source: Washington Post, January 10, 2016. (Opinion)
Just in recent days, scientists sleuthing through huge databases unearthed a worrisome discovery: A mobile gene that can help bacteria resist antibiotics has spread to many more countries than previously realized.
INSIGHTS: I wonder…
- If the comparative jump from human to animal and back is appropriate given most food animals live very short lives compared to humans?
- If anthropomorphizing bacteria is appropriate?
- Why we can identify genes and not improve our animal-side diagnostics?
Regardless, perceptions become reality. Misuse of antibiotics remains a problem in humans and animals.