The Superbug Crisis Takes a Startling New Turn

The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) that is concerned with international public health. It was established on April 7, 1948 and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. The World Health Organization is a well respected entity.

With that in mind, according to Margaret Chan, who is the Director-General of the World Health Organization, antibiotic resistance is now a global health crisis. In a recent briefing she said the problem is “reaching dangerously high levels” in all parts of the world and may lead to “the end of modern medicine as we know it.”

As of today, multi-drug-resistant diseases, such as typhoid, tuberculosis and gonorrhea, are killing hundreds of thousands of people each year and the situation appears to be getting worse.

Dramatic and rapid changes in policy and public awareness about antibiotics need to occur:

Scientists have been warning about this for a number of years, but now it seems the “antibiotic apocalypse” is close at hand.

Researchers recently discovered a new gene mutation, called mcr-1. This gene was found in pigs and in people in China. The mcr-1gene mutation makes bacteria resistant to our last-resort class of antibiotics. Moreover, the resistance has “epidemic potential”, as the rate of transfer between bacteria is exceptionally high.

Polymoxin-Resistant Bacteria May Kill Tens of Millions in Coming Years:

Between 2011 and 2014, the researchers, led by Hua Liu from the South China Agricultural University, collected bacteria samples from pork and chicken sold at open markets and grocery stores in four Chinese provinces, as well as from pigs at slaughter across four Chinese provinces. 15% of raw meats and about 20% of slaughtered animals had the mcr-1 gene mutation. The number of positive samples has increased with each passing year.

Livestock Farmers Must End Abuse of Antibiotics NOW!

The researchers describe their findings as “alarming”, calling for “urgent restrictions” on the widespread use of the antibiotics on livestock.

China alone uses 12,000 tons of the antibiotic colistin in animal farming each year. The US uses 800 tons annually and another 400 tons are used in Europe. The mcr-1 gene essentially prevents colistin and other drugs of this class from killing the gene-carrying bacteria.

Antibiotic-resistant infections are already killing an estimated 23,000 Americans each year. Projections suggest that by 2050, drug-resistant infections will claim the lives of about 10 million people worldwide.

The Public Is Grossly Undereducated on Proper Use of Antibiotics:

According to a new report by the Welcome Trust, who surveyed 10,000 people in 12 countries about their knowledge about antibiotics, people are “alarmingly confused” and ignorant about antibiotics.

1. 64% of people wrongly believe that antibiotics treat viral infections such as colds and flu, despite the fact such medicines can only treat bacterial infections, not viruses.

2. 75% of people wrongly believe “antibiotic resistance” means that your body is resistant to the drug, opposed to the bacteria being resistant.

3. About one-third of people wrongly believe you should stop taking the antibiotic once you feel better to avoid building “immunity” to the drug, rather than completing the prescribed treatment course.

4. About 66% wrongly believe you’re not at risk of drug-resistant infection as long as you take your antibiotics as prescribed.

5. Nearly half wrongly believe drug-resistant infections only affect people who frequently use antibiotics, when in fact antibiotic-resistant infections can occur in anyone, anywhere and at any time.

According to Keiji Fukuda, WHO’s special representative for antimicrobial resistance: “The findings ... point to the urgent need to improve understanding around antibiotic resistance. One of the biggest health challenges of the 21st century will require global behavior change by individuals and societies.”

Important Facts About Antibiotics and Their Use:

1. Antibiotics can ONLY treat bacterial infections, not viral infections such as cold and flu.

2. Unless the disease-causing bacteria are completely wiped out, the infection may recur, so if you are taking antibiotics, it’s important to finish the entire course as prescribed.

3. Antibiotics should be reserved for SEVERE bacterial infections only. Antibiotics can damage your gut bacteria for up to a year (see below), so the potential benefit must outweigh the potential harm.

4. Your food can be a major source of low-dose antibiotics if you’re eating meats and animal products originating in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). You can avoid a majority of this risk by buying organically raised animal foods, as USDA organic standards do not permit antibiotics for growth promotion and prophylactic purposes.

5. One in 25 hospital patients end up contracting a hospital-acquired infection, some of which are drug-resistant, so avoid unnecessary hospital stays. In 2011, an estimated 722,000 patients contracted an infection during a stay in an acute care hospital in the US and about 75,000 of them died as a result of it. As drug-resistant infections become more common, this number is likely to skyrocket in coming years.

A Course of Antibiotics Can Alter Your Gut Microbiome for Up to One Year:
It’s also important to realize the impact antibiotics have on your overall health, as they kill not just the disease-causing bacteria but the beneficial bacteria too. Recent research demonstrates that when you take a course of antibiotics, your gut microbiome may be adversely affected for up to a year afterwards, depending on the antibiotic you’re taking.

This is a significant reason for limiting antibiotics to severe infections only, as a healthy gut microbiome is part of your immune function, serving as a primary defense against all disease.

The Solution Is Difficult To Implement:

The solution will cut into the profits of major corporations and will be difficult to accomplish, but this needs to be done.

1. The elimination of antibiotics for growth promotion and prophylactic purposes in livestock and fish production. As with people, animals should be given antibiotics only when ill, and not for prophylactic purposes to “hide” poor hygiene and living conditions in overcrowded facilities.

2. Improved infection prevention, with a focus on strengthening your immune system naturally. As an all-around preventive measure, you’ll want to make sure your vitamin D level is optimized year-round, especially during pregnancy, along with vitamin K2.

3. More responsible use of antibiotics in medicine. Use antibiotics only when absolutely necessary.

4. Also avoid antibacterial household products.

5. Innovative new approaches to the treatment of infections from all branches of science, natural as well as allopathic medicine.

If you agree, make your voice heard and please sign the:

Organic Consumer’s Association’s Petition

This petition is calling for a mandatory ban on sub-therapeutic doses of antibiotics for livestock. The issue of antibiotic-resistance is a major reason for choosing organic, pastured meats, eggs and dairy.

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