New Drug-Resistant Superbugs Found in 3 States

[Elmore Furth]

Source: ABC News

An infectious-disease nightmare is unfolding: A new gene that can turn many types of bacteria into superbugs resistant to nearly all antibiotics has sickened people in three states and is popping up all over the world, health officials reported Monday.

The U.S. cases and two others in Canada all involve people who had recently received medical care in India, where the problem is widespread. A British medical journal revealed the risk last month in an article describing dozens of cases in Britain in people who had gone to India for medical procedures.

Scientists have long feared this — a very adaptable gene that hitches onto many types of common germs and confers broad drug resistance.

The U.S. cases occurred this year in people from California, Massachusetts and Illinois, said Brandi Limbago, a lab chief at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Three types of bacteria were involved, and three different mechanisms let the gene become part of them.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Germs/wireStory?id=11626067

[phantom power]

1. Perhaps we should do something about that.

But we probably won't.

Mosque!

[Mz Pip]

This from the article

-snip-

<<It's also why health officials are so concerned about where the threat is coming from, said Dr. Patrice Nordmann, a microbiology professor at South-Paris Medical School. India is an overpopulated country that overuses antibiotics and has widespread diarrheal disease and many people without clean water.>>

Cipro is sold over the counter in India. It costs about 25 cents a pill.

[pipoman]

13. This begs the question...

Why is Cipro $.25 in India and $8 in the US?

[Mz Pip]

15. Yeah, I thought that too.

My son and his girlfriend went to India a few months ago. The were sort of up in the Northern region sort of treking around and they both got sick. They bought Cipro over the counter. It worked for whatever ailed them but I was kind of :wtf: over the fact that they just bought the stuff and that it was so cheap.

[Kablooie]

16. Americans subsidize medication for the rest of the world.

[SlipperySlope]

20. Because of Indian patent law.

Indian patent law on pharmaceuticals only covers the manufacturing process it does not cover the end product itself.

That means that once a western company patents a drug, Indian companies are free to copy it chemically so long as they don't duplicate the exact process. The end result is that drugs in India sell for close to the cost of manufacturing them.

This system only works because other countries (like us) pay higher prices for drugs that subsidize the cost of developing them (and the profits of the drugmakers).

[RaleighNCDUer]

22. It's the pharmaceutical industry looking after the health of the American public.

...






Ha ha ha :rofl: Ha ha ha :rofl: Ha ha ha :rofl: Ha ha ha :rofl: Ha ha ha :rofl: Ha ha ha :rofl: Ha ha ha :rofl: Ha ha ha :rofl: Ha ha ha :rofl: Ha ha ha :rofl: Ha ha ha :rofl: Ha ha ha :rofl: Ha ha ha :rofl: Ha ha ha :rofl: Ha ha ha :rofl: Ha ha ha :rofl: Ha ha ha :rofl: Ha ha ha :rofl: Ha ha ha :rofl:

[RKP5637]

2. Great, this should work out nicely along with everything else. n/t

[Xipe Totec]

3. Minnesota, Arizona, and Alaska?

[Bossy Monkey]

6. No, those are thinking-resistant slugs. Completely different n/t

[glinda]

9. No... you mean what the "brain does on drugs" don't you?

[lonestarnot]

11. OMG!

Post a puke warning! :puke:

[Xipe Totec]

14. Sorry!

I didn't think it through...



:hide:

[lonestarnot]

18. LOL!

:rofl:

[Ian David]

4. But this would require some kind of descent with modification over time...

... some kind of EVOLUTION of a germ.

Fundamentalists should continue to request to just be treated with ordinary penicillin.

[bongbong]

5. Penicillan???

If God had meant man to have penicillin, he would've given it to Adam in the garden.

Why don't the religious fruitcakes have the courage of their convictions? Why do they need ANYTHING to get well? Maybe it's god's plan to harvest the fundies when they get sick. Modern medicine is satan.

[pipoman]

12. Funny how many, if not most, hospitals

in the US are funded by Christian organizations...be sure you steer clear of them fundies next time you need medical attention, maybe you can find some non-christian health facility which actually gives a shit if you live or die whether or not you have insurance...OTOH many of the evil christian health care facilities are actually non-profit and provide charitable services with their profits.

[RaleighNCDUer]

24. You are SOOO funny!!! nt

[pipoman]

29. Why, thank you...thank you very much..n/t

[bongbong]

30. Sure they are

Got any evidence to back up your claims?

[jimlup]

7. Ah shit! There goes the world's population

Well darn, I thought we had more time...

[ladywnch]

8. my step kids have been on an antibiotic practically every month

for years now. The quack their mother takes them to prescribes antibiotics for every 'sinus infection' they get....which is constantly (even though 90% of all sinus infections are viral NOT bacterial which means antibiotics have NO effect and usually runs it's course in about 10 -14 days - about the same amount of time they are on the antibiotics)......of course this is the same dip-shit mother who just put her 16 y/o son on accutane as a FIRST line of treatment having tried nothing previously.

God help these kids if they ever actually get some kind of serious infection.....there will be nothing for them to use.....oh, and the daughter already can't take any penicillin based meds....

And they just keep prescribing them........

[Mz Pip]

17. I wonder if over prescribing

can lead to an allergic reaction later on. I was prescribed penicillin month after month year after year for a throat infection and finally I saw a doctor who told me at age 21 I needed to have my tonsils out. I did that and that was the end of the throat infections.

Years later I needed penicillin for an infection and ended up looking like I had measles. Dr. said it was due to having having taken such massive does of the stuff years before.

[Deep13]

21. So what's causing a sinus infection every month?

Sounds like it might be the same infection recurring.

Maybe something in the house is causing inflamation and a lack of drainage: tobacco smoke, cat dander, dust etc.

[ladywnch]

25. I don't believe they HAVE sinus infections every month. they do

have allergies and 2 cats and a dog at their mother's house. One time this doctor prescribed antibiotics for 8 hours worth of symptoms!----step son wake up said he had a bit of sore throat and was stuffy---his mother came and got him, took him to see the doctor and walked out with a script......8 hours start to finish. Instead of managing symptoms and see what happens let's just throw antibiotics at whatever may or may not be going on.

[Deep13]

26. Sounds like it's time to get rid of the pets. nt

[ladywnch]

27. they only seem to get 'sick' at their mother's house

largely because with all those animals she rarely cleans house. we've got hardwood floors which I sweep every day to keep the hair up and air filtration system to address the airborne problems. both natual parents have allergies and still, allergies are not treated with antibiotics which is the issue.

[Quantess]

23. Overuse of antinbiotics encourages yeast and fungal infections.

[Dappleganger]

28. That's scary.

Sinus infections are no fun...started getting them in middle school, several times a year every year. Finally, I had enough and had surgery two years ago and have not had one infection since then. Wish I had done that a long time ago since I missed so much time due to that.

[Turborama]

10. "The ingredients are there. It's going to spread by plane all over the world"

I wonder how widespread it's becoming in Singapore. I have to go there occasionally and there's a large Indian community there who go to and from home quite often.

[OnyxCollie]

19. Don't worry about it.

Emergent Biosolutions will take care of it.

They are fifth in PAC contributions from miscellaneous defense contractors to federal employees for the 2010 cycle, right after Dyncorp International. They split their contributions (nearly) evenly, with $42,000 for Dems and $41,680 to Repubs.

http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/industry.php?txt=D03&cycle=2010