The superbug carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, also known as CRE, has been found in Los Angeles and North Carolina. Three people with CRE have died so far: 2 in Los Angeles, and 1 in North Carolina.
In North Carolina, 18 people have contracted CRE this year; in Los Angeles, 7 patients contracted CRE after routine endoscopic procedures. Hospital officials said the outbreaks occurred because two medical scopes carried and spread the CRE, even after they were disinfected. Up to 173 other people could be in danger of contracting CRE because of their endoscopic procedures; the medical center will be screening for the bacteria in these patients.
CRE is a family of bacteria found mainly in hospitals and health care facilities. It is so deadly because it has evolved to become resistant to most antibiotics, making treatment almost impossible.
How terrifying to realize that nature and evolution prevails even as human medicine and science continues to expand and grow. It shows that as much as we learn and develop as humans, we can't escape the evolutionary forces that were here before us. Scientifically speaking, perhaps we overmedicate when we have a small colds or the flu, because the more we medicate, the quicker the bacteria/virus evolves to allude the antibiotics/vaccines.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/22/health/superbug-north-carolina/index.html
You're certainly right about how terrifying it is that this 'superbug' has become resistant to different sanitary treatments, mostly due to the fact that we don't have this control over something that is so dangerous. I'm sure, however, that we will find some superior antibacterial substance with time - hopefully in time to help those who've been affected and exposed to it.
ReplyDelete- Sophia Davison