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To: marlon
We are creating super-germs that are becomming ammune to antibotics and soon we will have no defense against them.

I read something interesting about this serveral years ago. It was written by a medical professional, perhaps a researcher. He claimed that the antibiotics were not actually creating the "superbugs", but that the "superbugs" already existed. The "everyday" bugs were being killed-off routinely by the antibiotics, making incidents of infection by the "superbugs" seem more serious.

Let me try to make this more clear:
Let's say that in 1960, there were 100 total flu deaths in a particular region.
80 of the deaths were from "everyday" flu bugs (80%), and 20 were from "superbugs" (20%).
Fast-forward 40 years to 2000. In 2000 in the same region, effective medicines were now available to treat/kill the "everyday" flu bugs, so there were only 40 flu deaths: 20 from "everyday" flu bugs(50%) and 20 from "superbugs" (50%).

The conclusion of, say, the NY Times: OMG!!! The "superbug" deaths are up 30% in the last 40 years!!! Our current medicines must be mutating them!! We must put a halt to the medicines that are effective on the "everyday" flu bugs!! People cannot be given these effective medicines!!! A massive Gov't program is needed to stop the Dubya-friendly drug companies from selling effective "everyday" bug medicines!! It's Dubya' fault! Elect Hillary before it's too late and "The Children" die at Dubya's own hand!! She's for "The Children"!! She had a Socialized Medicine Plan that was killed by the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy!!

Hmm. Maybe I went a little overboard on that last part, but I think you get the "gist" of it.

Comments?

20 posted on 12/08/2003 9:42:17 AM PST by Ignatz (Helping people be more like me since 1960)
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To: Ignatz
He claimed that the antibiotics were not actually creating the "superbugs", but that the "superbugs" already existed. The "everyday" bugs were being killed-off routinely by the antibiotics, making incidents of infection by the "superbugs" seem more serious.

I think that part of the problem is that we've gone overboard on making everything "sanitary" - we're crippling our immune systems from disuse. You read about people getting deathly ill from e-coli they got in a burger at a fast food place, but never about anyone who lives on a ranch or cattle farm getting ill from it, and they're exposed to it every day.

27 posted on 12/08/2003 10:41:38 AM PST by tacticalogic (Controlled application of force is the sincerest form of communication.)
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To: Ignatz
Comments?

Influenza ("flu") is caused by a virus...

47 posted on 12/08/2003 12:21:28 PM PST by ArrogantBustard
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