the super bug?

Question

ummm i heard that a "super bug" bacteria is going around thats IMMUNE TO ANTIBIOTICS. i also heard one person dies every 30min from it. i also heard it starts with an ear infection that ends up killing u. it cant be stopped. can someone pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese explain it very thoroughly and clearly to me? and what are the chances of allieving its killng ability? HELP!!!!

Answer 1

It's called methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and the term "superbug" is a common but unfortunate name for it. It is a bacterium that's learned to be resistant to many antibiotics but is not yet resistant to all of them. There are still antibiotics that can kill it but scientists and public health officials worry that eventually it may learn to be resistant to the other antibiotics.

For this reasons, MRSA has been the subject of considerable research to ensure that new antibiotics and new other treatments (such as vaccinations, bacteria eating viruses, etc.) are available just in case the MRSA learns to be resistant to our current antibiotics.

It used to be that MRSA was just seen in hospitalized or otherwise chronically ill folks but there is a new strain that's seen among regular healthy folks. It is quite widespread.

Most MRSA infections are readily treated with the remaining antibiotics so the "threat of MRSA" is really a challenge for the folks who direct medical research - they want to be sure they're researching MRSA enough so that we're ready should it evolve resistance to our remaining antibiotics.

Ordinary folks like you and I don't need to change much of what we do. Just do the following,

1. Don't take unnecessary antibiotics. When antibiotics are prescribed, finish the entire course.
2. Try to get the agriculture industry to reduce its use of antibiotics in farm animals (the agriculture industry uses FAR more antibiotics than humans do; they're using them to compensate for unsanitary living conditions for their farm animals - improves profit but induces widespread resistance).
3. If you are prescribed antibiotics and aren't seen improvement in 3 days, revisit your doctor.

Oh, last point... MRSA rarely mainfests as an ear infection so rest easy there. Its most common presentation is as a skin infection which is readily treated with the proper antibiotics and draining any abscesses.

Answer 2

It can eat your flesh and kill you in a matter of hours. If you get a cut like a papercut and don't put Neosporin on it, an cover it with a Band-Aid. The chance of it killing you depends on how much you wash your hands, (or don't) and if you have cut(s) and don't put Neosporin on them or Band-Aids. That's the only ways I know to prevent it. Look on my question about other ways to prevent it, if you want to.

Answer 3

bugs are evolving faster than we can prevent thier infection rate