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Antibiotic-Resistant E Coli Reaches The US For The First Time (reuters.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the there's-a-first-for-everything dept.

New submitter maharvey writes: A woman in Pennsylvania has contracted a strain of E Coli that is unaffected by all known legal antibiotics, including the antibiotics of last resort. We have had bacteria that were resistant, but this is the first bacteria that is completely immune. Such bacteria were known in China, but since the woman has not traveled recently it means she contracted it in the wild in the USA. This is a major step toward the terrifying post-antibiotic world.

6 of 203 comments (clear)

  1. the chickens. by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 3, Insightful

    they've come home to roost.

    --
    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
  2. Antibiotic abuse and biodiversity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Biodiversity is a good thing, but we're destroying it. We need to allow nature to create new antibiotics and use those as needed.

    Also, there are some fucking absurd abuses of antibiotics. Doctors are way too quick to wrote prescriptions when they aren't necessary. We need to stop prescribing antibiotics when they aren't necessary for infections that will be stopped by the body's immune system or as preventive measures.

    Furthermore, we shouldn't be wasting antibiotics on animals, especially for cattle. I'm sorry that one of the animals in your herd is sick. There's no fucking reason to put antibiotics in the feed of all of your cattle. That's fucking ridiculous. Don't use antibiotics on cattle.

    This is a fucking big deal. People who misuse antibiotics should lose their license to practice medicine. I'd also support prison time for it.

    1. Re:Antibiotic abuse and biodiversity by yes-but-no · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Why oh why do we need to actually see an antibiotics-resistant bacteria infect somebody before we'll acknowledge the blindingly obvious about to happen?

      Because, Sir, we as a species are dumb.

  3. Perhaps not use antibiotics on animals by NotInHere · · Score: 5, Insightful

    what about not using antibiotics on living animals? They serve as a feeding ground for antibiotics. The price would be that you have to pay more for products that include flesh, because you would have to isolate the animals better, in order to stop spreading illnesses.

  4. Nice job humanity! by slacka · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Total Failure of Government and Society and not a good sign for the future of the human race. I personally have been well aware of the risks of Antibiotic-Resistant for over 20 years. This was the text book example of natural selection in my High School Biology class.

    Instead of listening to the scientists and public health officals on the risks, we have let the greed and money in big ag run make our laws. We let them dump antibiotics in our livestock food in so we could have cheap meat and now the chickens are coming home to roost.

    Welcome back to the pre-antibiotic era where a cut can be deadly and hospitals can kill you. Nice job humanity!

  5. Re:Try the original antibiotic by ttucker · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Until you turn blue.