Are antibiotics “enemies” or “friends”?

In recent years, you may often see

"Super-resistant bacteria"

"Antibiotic abuse"

Reports such as "antibiotic residues"

So where did this super-resistant bacteria come from?

What impact will it have on our lives?

Brother Rong will talk to you.

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The current scientific definition of antibiotics is

Refers to microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi,

Or higher animals and plants in the course of life

Anti-pathogen

or other active secondary metabolites,

Can interfere with the developmental functions of other living cells

Chemical substances.

From this definition we can see that

Antibiotics are a class of compounds that come from natural sources.

For example, penicillin is found in Penicillium.

It has anti-Staphylococcus aureus activity.

Artemisinin is extracted from Artemisia annua.

It has a good killing effect on malaria.

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The discovery of penicillin was epoch-making.

In World War II

He also made great contributions.

At that time, penicillin was the first-line antibiotic.

The effect of treating bacterial infection in wounds is not very good.

The mortality rate caused by this was greatly reduced.

Saved thousands of lives,

It is called "miracle medicine".

In the early stage, the production was not high enough and the demand was insufficient to meet the supply.

As a result, penicillin was once more expensive than gold!

Many diseases that were previously incurable can now be cured with medicine.

This is the first time in human history

To truly defeat a certain disease.

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However, nowadays,

Resistance to antibiotics that save lives,

It is becoming a global health threat.

According to an analysis published in The Lancet,

Antibiotic-resistant infections in 2019

Directly causing the deaths of 1.27 million people,

Indirectly caused the deaths of 4.95 million people.

Antibiotic resistance is the leading cause of death worldwide.

The death toll has exceeded

Deaths from AIDS or malaria.

The misuse of antibiotics

It is the direct cause of the emergence of drug-resistant pathogens.

We all know Darwin's theory of evolution through natural selection.

There are gene mutations in the inheritance process.

Bacteria that have a growth advantage when antibiotics are used

Killed in large numbers,

A small number of "mutated" drug-resistant bacteria

survived,

After rapid reproduction

A large population of drug-resistant bacteria has been formed.

This is like a "spear" and a "shield".

If antibiotics are considered a weapon given by nature,

Then nature will inevitably retain some kind of defense measures.

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Humans don't use antibiotics yet

When you first start using antibiotics,

The rate at which drug-resistant bacteria emerge worldwide

Much slower than now.

With the gradual development of different types of antibiotics,

Drug-resistant bacteria are beginning to appear exponentially in clinical practice.

This is also easy to understand.

"Artificial screening" after human "intervention"

Speeding up this speed,

The abuse of antibiotics by people

It is an invisible accelerated screening.

This doesn't just happen in medical care.

In many cases, we can't even prevent them.

For example, the problem of "antibiotic residues".

The root cause is that agricultural product companies

Misuse of antibiotics.

Animals are bound to get sick as they grow.

Crowded breeding environment

making them more vulnerable to disease.

In order to prevent the whole nest from dying,

Even to prevent illness,

They were fed antibiotics.

The same is true in fisheries.

Not to mention the discovery of antibiotics

It also promotes the growth of meat in livestock.

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Although these residual antibiotics

The harm to the human body is not that great.

But the impact it had was horrific.

When we are cultivated and selected by ourselves

When a multi-drug resistant super pathogen breaks out on a large scale,

Humanity will be powerless to fight back.

So use antibiotics scientifically and rationally

It is vital to human survival and development.

Of course, the problem will ultimately be solved by technology.

Scientific researchers are working hard day and night.

Discovering new antibiotics

Searching for new mechanisms of action of antibiotics.

But there may be a more radical solution.

For example, we mentioned artificial meat in our previous program.

Can effectively avoid and solve

Misuse of antibiotics in agricultural products.

In short, the fight with nature will never stop.

Have a little awe, and don't be too quick to wag your tail!

Source: China Digital Science and Technology Museum