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Are antibiotics being overused?
This is a very complicated question but yes, antibiotics are being used in high frequency in our society and at times, they are prescribed wrongly. Antibiotics do not treat viral infections and the common cold or flu is viral - but doctors write a prescription because they diagnosed it wrong or because the patient is pressuring the doctor for a antibiotic. This leads to bacterial resistance to that specific antibiotic and in some cases, resistance to the entire class of that antibiotic. So if you take amoxicillin wrongly and bacteria becomes resistant, it becomes resistant to amoxicillin and all penicillin class of antibiotics. This is why we are seeing the rise of highly resistant strains of bacteria in this world such as VRSA (Vancomycin resistant) or MRSA (Methicillin resistant) bacterial strains.
What is the Alexander Fleming contribution?
by discovering the world's first antibiotic, or bacteria killer
What could be the consequences of frequent use of antibiotics over a long period time?
Taking antibiotics for colds and other viral illnesses not only won't work, but it also has a dangerous side effect: over time, this practice helps create bacteria that have become more of a challenge to kill. Frequent and inappropriate use of antibiotics selects for strains of bacteria that can resist treatment. This is called bacterial resistance. These resistant bacteria require higher doses of medicine or stronger antibiotics to treat. Doctors have even found bacteria that are resistant to some of the most powerful antibiotics available today. Antibiotic resistance is a widespread problem, and one that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls "one of the world's most pressing public health problems." Bacteria that were once highly responsive to antibiotics have become increasingly resistant. Among those that are becoming harder to treat are pneumococcal infections (which cause pneumonia, ear infections, sinus infections, and meningitis), skin infections, and tuberculosis. Source: http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/general/sick/antibiotic_overuse.html
What is the increasing resistance of M tuberculosis to streptomycin is most likely due to?
An estimated 95% of TB sufferers are in developing countries with the advent of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the world in the number of TB sufferers will increase.
Why has there been a large increase in the number of antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria?
Like all organisms, bacteria vary from each other in many things. Let's say that you become infected, and must take an antibiotic like penicillin. A few of those bacteria are going to have a variation that makes them just a wee bit harder to kill than the others. In a few hours, many of the other bacteria have died from the antibiotic, but the ones that are a wee bit harder to kill continue to live and create many more bacteria like themselves that are harder to kill. For the sake of argument, let's say that you quit taking the antibiotic before quite all of the bacteria died. What would that leave? Yep, the ones that were harder to kill are left. If you had been wise, you would have taken your medicine the full 10 days, and all the bacteria would have died. But, no . . . so you now have a new strain of bacteria that are a little resistant to penicillin. Let's say you pass the bacteria on to someone else, and they, in turn, do not take their medicine the full 10 days. Then, the harder to kill bacteria die off after a few days, but some of THEM have altered just a little to become even MORE resistant, and they don't die, but make zillions of more bacteria which are even harder to kill. Over a period of time, after millions of cycles of the above, a small amount of bacteria have become so hard to kill that even after 10 days, they are still alive and making new, harder to kill bacteria (while the weaker ones die). These tough bacteria now spread to other people, as is the way of such things, and before you know it, these new resistant bacteria are found across a continent, or even around the world. So doctors use stronger antibiotics for people infected with these new, tough bacteria. And enough people will not take their medicine for the full 10 days that an even newer strain of bacteria emerges that are resistant even to the stronger antibiotic. So what happens when these bacteria eventually grow resistant to even the strongest antibiotics? What happens is, there is no more magic medicine to make people well from their infections, and many people start dying from their infections from our new super-bacteria.
Why is it important for a doctor to prescribe the right antibiotic for infection?
Many people mistakenly stop taking the antibiotics when the symptoms go away; however if the germs have not completely been eradicated they could remain in small numbers, opening the possibility that they could multiply and infect you again. These remaining organisms possibly have some resistance to the antibiotic (that is why they remain) and have the potential of breeding antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria. So try to wipe out as many of the infecting bacteria as possible!
Howv did Alexander Fleming affect the world?
Alexander Fleming affected the world by accidentally inventing penicillin, the world's first commercial antibiotic. There are theories that penicillin was invented prior to Alexander Fleming, but most historians accredit the discovery to him.
Why do doctors in India prescribe antibiotics for antiviral infections?
This is a world wide issue, not just India.The thought process goes like this.:The patient is sick and is asking me to make the problem betterIf I prescribe an Antibiotic it will have a Placebo effect and will do the patient no harm.It may even prevent opportunistic bacterial infections.The problem is that it helps create Antibiotic resistant disease.
How do antibiotic resistant strains develop?
A virus or bacteria multiply more rapidly and use energy from the body's healthy cells. They also can mimic healthy cells, or create more virulent strains during reproduction of cells. This may challenge immune system responses, and thus fever, sore muscles, and fatigue develop. Here a doctor will prescribe an antiobiotic, to shorten the duration of the achiness, tired muscles, and fever. Frequently a bacteria is not the root cause of illness but a virus is, and viruses do not respond to antibiotics. They may reproduce rapidly, and eventually mutate into new strains, particularly if taking antibiotics that do not cure or halt them. Because antibiotics, and even antibacterial soaps, cleansers and the like have been used so widely, the mutatiions or reproductions have been able to become stronger and more deadly. This has caused the outbreak of MRSA, to develop, which is a community wide bacteria.Until more advanced solutions come along, people are sticking to tried-and-true advice any doctor would offer: Wash your hands, and wash them often.
How many bacteria in the world?
there is actually millions and countless bacteria in the world
What are some medications for tuberculosis?
Tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis or Mycobacterium bovis. The bacteria invades the alveoli of the lungs where it hides in the macrophages that help clean pathogens out of the lungs. Once in the macrophages, the bacteria is very resistent to treatment, which usually consists of multi-drug regimes for months.The current protocol consists of the following: Isoniazid, Rifampicin, Pyrazinamide and Ethambutol for two months then just Isoniazid and Rifampicin for a further four months.However, Mycobacterium is evolving to be resistent to these drugs, and some people have forms of tuberculosis that cannot be treated with medications at all. This is an emerging world-wide public health problem.
What is the world percentage of bacteria?
The answer will depend on what you are measuring:mass of bacteria as a total of the world's massmass of bacteria as a percentage of bio-massnumber of bacteria species as a percentage of total number of speciesmass of bacteria in the world as a percentage of bacteria on the world and in intergalactic spacenumber of bacteria species in the world as a percentage of bacteria on the world and in intergalactic spaceThere are probably percentage measures that, in the right circumstances, are equally valid. So have a good think about what you want to measure before you fir off a question.
