In March 2016, the CDC reported that “superbugs” – bacteria that are highly resistant to antibiotics – are responsible for one out of seven infections caught in general hospitals, causing an annual estimate of 80,000 in the U.S.
Several types of bacterial infections have evolved to ‘deadly invader’ status, and it’s partially our fault.
Among the 18 superbugs identified by the CDC are salmonella, drug-resistant tuberculosis, and a staph bacteria known as MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)
These bugs are gaining ‘super’ status because we’ve been careless and stupid with antibiotics like Colistin, rendering them useless, if not dangerous. In other words, we’re helping create deadly types of bacteria.
These bad bacteria strains are so ancient and intelligent that a small minority of them that invade our bodies, “may be intercepting the antibiotics and changing their molecular structure,” reports Medical Daily. It’s suspected that bacteria can also beat antibiotics by releasing energy that banishes them before they can even take effect.
Bacteria are naturally able to adapt to the drugs designed to kill them, such as penicillin and ampicillin. So much so that the more these bacteria become exposed to drugs, the more they become resistant microbes that can spread rampantly.
Yes, antibiotics enjoyed their heyday as effective go-to weapons against conditions such as influenza, E. coli, hepatitis, malaria, and STDs. But bacteria are naturally able to adapt to the drugs designed to kill them. They adapt so much that, the more these microbes become exposed to drugs, the more resistant they become. As “superbugs” they can spread rampantly.
Health researchers worldwide warn that resistant strains of bacteria can spread practically anywhere in the world, rapidly crossing borders and continents with increased ease.
According to a CDC report, in the U.S. alone:
- Some two million people per year acquire serious infections via antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
- More than 20,000 die, costing billions of dollars.
- Most of these infections happen in the general community.
These 8 bacterial infections are some of the most deadly:
- Acinetobacter Baumannii – A common bacterium that can easily infect patients in health-care settings; poses little risk to healthy individuals.
- Difficile – This bacterium is spread through contaminated food and objects, and can cause infectious diarrhea and colitis.
- CRE – A type of bacterium highly resistant to many antibiotics, earning the name “killer bacteria.” Death rate exceeds 40 percent.
- CRKP – This bacterium (carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae) is known to cause meningitis, pneumonia, and bloodstream infections, and is fatal in many cases.
- Coli – Highly contagious bacterium that accounts for a large percentage of bacterial infections in the blood. Researchers are seeing a growing resistance to the antibiotic colistin.
- MRSA – (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is a staph bacterium that is resistant to penicillin and many other antibiotics. It can cause serious skin infections, bloodstream infections, and infect surgical wounds.
- Multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) – This strain causes an estimated 440,000 new cases of MDR TB annually around the world, with an estimated 150,000 deaths.
- NDM-1 – This is an enzyme produced by different bacteria that causes resistance to many antibiotics.
World health leaders have called antibiotic-resistant microbes a “catastrophic threat” and a global epidemic. Now even the simplest of skin infections or surgical procedures can put patients at risk.
As Dr. Danilo Lo Fo Wong, a WHO senior adviser stated, “A child falling off their bike and developing a fatal infection would be a freak occurrence…but that is where we are heading.” In March 2015, the Obama administration released its National Action Plan in response to this threat.
The good news is that many superbugs aren’t antagonistic and pose little threat to healthy individuals. However, people with weakened immune systems, or those confined to health care settings such as hospitals and nursing homes, face a heightened risk. These locations are considered hot spots for the spread of bacteria via scrubs, stethoscopes, and surgical and medical equipment.
How do simple bacteria resist complex and expensive drugs? Quite simply, by evolution. As antibiotics kill off these microbes, those carrying a particular gene survive, rapidly reproducing and passing their drug-resistant traits to the next generation.
Meanwhile, these bacteria may transfer a copy of their DNA to other bacteria they come into contact with, making them resistant, too. They’re extremely resourceful mofos.
Some factors contributing to the rise of resistant microbes are:
- Overuse and misuse of antibiotics.
- Widespread/unnecessary use of antibiotics among livestock.
- The lack of research and development of new antibiotics.
- Poor personal hygiene.
Over the last two decades few new antibiotics have reached the marketplace. In fact, since 1987 no new class of antibiotics has been discovered. So any new antibiotics we now see may simply amount to a temporary fix.
It’s unfortunate that antibiotics, which are primarily low-cost, do not factor into a drug company’s bottom line. Because the world’s drug giants reap such small profits from the sale of available antibiotics, particularly compared to lucrative drugs that are designed as long-term treatments, there is no monetary incentive to invest in the development of new antibiotics.
Despite the absence of new antibiotics, there are a few innovations and ancient solutions that may prove effective in combating superbugs.
For example, researchers at universities worldwide (Boston, Scotland, and Tel Aviv, among others) are studying the use of bacteriophages – viruses found naturally in water that act like bacteria hunters, killing bacteria and their antibiotic resistance, while leaving human cells unharmed. These viruses are being engineered so that their targets’ resistance-evolving genes are destroyed.
Ancient and Natural Antibiotic: Colloidal Silver
A more natural approach – dating back thousands of years – is the use of silver, one of the most powerful antibiotics found in nature (toxic to pathogens but not human cells!).
Colloidal silver, despite decades-long opposition from the FDA, has been used for decades as an effective multi-use remedy against:
- Influenza and the common cold
- Skin, throat, eye, and many other infections
- Cancer, diabetes, arthritis, and allergies
- Hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, and other STDs
In terms of effectiveness and ease of use, colloidal silver is a popular, practical solution to maintain health and ward off dangerous bacteria and viruses.
In the words of Dr. James F. Balch, author of Prescription for Natural Cures and Prescription for Nutritional Healing, among other best-selling health books, “Taken internally, colloidal silver can be used to fight infection. It has been shown to be effective against more than 650 disease-causing organisms.”
In addition, colloidal silver is quite affordable. By using a micro-particle generating kit, a whole quart of colloidal silver can be made for less than 40 cents! As antibiotics continue to lose their effectiveness at an alarming rate, there are plenty of good reasons to use colloidal silver to stay healthy .
Watch The Antibiotic Apocalypse Explained, funded by Bill and Melinda Gates who are big fans of vaccines.
Charles Cozic is a freelance writer and book editor in San Diego, where he enjoys exploring its diverse neighborhoods and parks. He also collects and restores violins.
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