The old diseases are coming back. We fought them to a standstill in the Twentieth Century and the Twenty-first seems ripe for their comeback.
Staphylococcus (which means ‘bunch of grapes’ for obvious reasons)
Just in time for Walpurgisnacht, The World Health Organization has released a chilling new report, the Washington Post reveals:
Planet headed toward ‘post-antibiotic era’ when treatments don’t work: WHO
BY LENNY BERNSTEIN
April 30 at 2:48 pmThe planet may be headed toward a “post-antibiotic era” when common infections once easily controlled by antimicrobial medicines may be lethal, the World Health Organization reported Wednesday in its first look at antibiotic resistance that has developed in all parts of the world.
“The problem is so serious that it threatens the achievements of modern medicine,” the organization said, adding that “a very real possibility for the 21st century” is a time when standard treatments no longer work, the chances of death from infection rise and the risk of disease spreading to others will increase.
“Effective antibiotics have been one of the pillars allowing us to live longer, live healthier and benefit from modern medicine,” Keiji Fukuda, WHO’s assistant director-general for health security said in a news release. “Unless we take significant actions to improve efforts to prevent infections and also change how we produce, prescribe and use antibiotics, the world will lose more and more of these global public health goods and the implications will be devastating.”
You will be happy to know that the Washington Post reporter’s first commentary on this fact is meant to make you feel all warm and squishy. Next paragraph:
Bubonic Plague Doc togs
Such alarm in the health-care community and elsewhere about resistance to antibiotics is not new. In September, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned of “potentially catastrophic consequences” of drug-resistant microorganisms, saying they now kill an estimated 23,000 people in this country every year, and other public health groups have been clamoring about them for years.
But, I guess there is new stuff to be afraid of. Next paragraph:
But the WHO reported that “very high rates of resistance” have been observed around the world to common bacteria that cause urinary tract, wound and bloodstream infections, as well as pneumonia. Multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis is a growing and under-reported concern, and rising resistance to anti-HIV drugs has been detected. At the same time, surveillance of the growing threat by officials across the globe is not coordinated….
Yup. The old diseases are coming back. We fought them to a standstill in the Twentieth Century and the Twenty-first seems ripe for their comeback.
And even if they don’t, it’s time to take a moment to salute the morons of the “anti-vaccination” movement.
Funny. Anti-vaccination “activist” Jenny McCarthy
doesn’t seem to be against makeup, even though it
demonstrably causes harm … unlike vaccinations.
Way to go.
Courage.
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A writer, published author, novelist, literary critic and political observer for a quarter of a quarter-century more than a quarter-century, Hart Williams has lived in the American West for his entire life. Having grown up in Wyoming, Kansas and New Mexico, a survivor of Texas and a veteran of Hollywood, Mr. Williams currently lives in Oregon, along with an astonishing amount of pollen. He has a lively blog His Vorpal Sword. This is cross-posted from his blog.
A writer, published author, novelist, literary critic and political observer for a quarter of a quarter-century more than a quarter-century, Hart Williams has lived in the American West for his entire life. Having grown up in Wyoming, Kansas and New Mexico, a survivor of Texas and a veteran of Hollywood, Mr. Williams currently lives in Oregon, along with an astonishing amount of pollen. He has a lively blog, His Vorpal Sword (no spaces) dot com.