Odessa

A new superbug has been found and it traveled from India to Britain. It's actually not a bacteria in its own right, it's a gene that can make most any bacteria a superbug. From Huffington Post:

In an article published online Wednesday in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases, doctors reported finding a new gene, called NDM-1. The gene alters bacteria, making them resistant to nearly all known antibiotics. It has been seen largely in E. coli bacteria, the most common cause of urinary tract infections, and on DNA structures that can be easily copied and passed onto other types of bacteria.

The gene may have traveled from India to Britain due to "medical tourism". "Medical tourism" is a phrase used to describe people traveling from more affluent countries, such as Britain and the US, for treatment, such as cosmetic surgery, in countries where the doctors are sufficiently skilled but the costs are low, such as India.

I am not surprised that India is the petri dish to culture a superbug. The factors that contribute to bacterial mutations are present in India. First, antibiotics are widely available with few checks and balances. Many of those websites hawking drugs are located in India and they will ship you pretty much whatever you want. Second, India is one of the largest manufacturers of generic antibiotics and their industrial disposal practices are dismal. They are so bad that the water in streams near factories in India may contain many thousands times the antibiotics in streams near similar factories in the US or China. Both of these factors contribute to bacteria having casual exposure to common antibiotics and this casual exposure help the bacteria to mutate and become resistant to those antibiotics.

What can we do?

First, quit assuming that antibiotics are cure alls. If it's a virus, antibiotics ain't going to do crap for you. As a matter of fact there ain't much anyone can do beyond treating the symptoms unless you get really sick.

Second, take the whole damn dose and take it the way it is prescribed. Don't give the bacteria the equivalent of a spanking and send it on it's way - kill the little MFs! No whining about "The pills give me the runs, whaaa!" - Eat some yogurt or take some acidophilus pills and STFU.

Third, wash your hands and practice other good sanitary practices. Washing your hands in soap and water may not kill bacteria, but it does help remove it from your person.

Lastly, hope, pray, whatever it is you do, that bugs with this gene stay far away! What someone saves on a tummy tuck today may cost someone else their life tomorrow.