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Someone Dies Every 15 Minutes From Resistant Infections
Both Doctors and the General Public Have a Role to Play To Stop This Scourge
The US Centers for Disease Control issued a report about antibiotic-resistant infections in the United States. It stated the following:
more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur in the U.S. each year, and more than 35,000 people die as a result.
That’s one person dying every 15 minutes. This is a big deal.
The reason behind the rise in antibiotic resistant bacteria is quite simple: overuse of antibiotics. When antibiotics are utilized inappropriately, such as to treat a viral infection, bacteria and fungi become smart, learning how to resist the killing effects of the antibiotics used. The end result is the development of “super-bugs,“ such as MRSA, VRE, and other such resistant bacteria.
The danger is, if someone gets infected with these resistant bacteria, it may be very difficult to treat the infection, which can lead to organ failure and even death. This is especially the case with people who have weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients who are getting chemotherapy.
