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[jebbypal]

twistedchick has an incredibly interesting take on world events for the past couple of months. It's an analysis that could all too well be 100% true.

In other news, I've actually kind of found it difficult to the news blogging for the past week or so. Between all the shit hitting the fan with global warming and Bush/Putin trying to put us back into the days of the Cuban Missile crisis, it's a little too draining. I'm sure my outrage will lead me to continue it, but for the moment, I may be backing off a bit.

I do have to throw these out there though - It's not just honey bees that are dying. Bumble bees are dying too.

And as if you didn't have enough to worry about with MRSA and the emergence of deadly bacteria that cause ear infections, Six American Military hospitals have been affected by outbreaks of deadly bacteria Acinetobacter baumannii isn't new, but in the past, it was pretty much considered an oportunistic infection. Now though, drug resistant forms of it have developed.

Comments

[adelheide.livejournal.com]

I've been wondering about these MRSA infections. I have to believe these super bugs evolved, in part, because of the US hysteria about germs. People want anti-biotics for every ailment. Everything is anti-bacterial. The grocery stores even have anti-bacterial wipes for shopping cart handles now. People just don't get that this is causing germs and viruses to become more resistent to the point where nothing we have will combat them. A certain amount of hygene is good, but as usual, we take a good thing and overdo it.

[luridmuse.livejournal.com]

sorry to butt in but you are actually correct in that our hyper sensitivity to germs and requiring antibotics for everything is what is bringing these superbugs to life.
I have a germ phobia, and my doc told me because I am soo insanely obsessed with it, Im setting myself up for higher risks of serious infections because not only is everything I use anti bacterial/anti germ, but I took so many antibotics as a kid.
the more we fight them, the more immune to our methods they will become. for example Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamases (ESBLs), another resistant infection, is immune to a host of different antibotics unlike say MRSA thats only immune to Methicillins, or VRE which has become immune to vancomycin.

[adelheide.livejournal.com]

You're not butting in at all!

I believe a certain amount of dirt is good. By that I mean that being germphobic is going to get us into trouble. I don't use the anit-bacterial wipes for my shopping cart. I drink out of garden hoses. I run around barefoot on a regular basis. And I don't even (brace yourself) wash my hands everytime I go to the bathroom. Unless I touch my own waste, toilet paper protects me just fine.

Even when I'm sick, I am reluctant to take anti-biotics. I will happily take the medicine that relives my symptoms, but unless I have something really bad (like pneumonia), I prefer to recover on my own. As a result, I don't get sick a lot and I heal pretty quickly.

[jebbypal]

And I don't even (brace yourself) wash my hands everytime I go to the bathroom.

Hallelujah!!!! Frankly, my habit for this is a tad bit self serving since I hated the way washing my hands made me feel when I was a little kid (small wonder - I'm allergic to most scented soaps etc). And since starting to work at the new company this has only been reinforced since after a week of using the frelling softsoap antibiotic soap they have, my hands started peeling like I was dipping them in acetone every day!

Really, why have toilet paper there if you aren't going to use enough to prevent the crap from wetting through to your hand?? I'm so sick of getting the evil eye from people in public restrooms.

[jebbypal]

At the same time, the amount of prednisone you are sometimes on actually means you should continue to use your antibiotic soaps etc (not to mention with Katharine's issues). While my mom's frequent antibiotic use is a problem, the frequent staph boils and thrush infections she gets as a result of the prednisone dictate that it continues and that it's far far better for her to continue to use dial soap etc.

[jebbypal]

I have to believe these super bugs evolved, in part, because of the US hysteria about germs.

mmm...Yes and no. Yes, over prescribing of antibiotics and misuse contributed to the rapid emergence of the multiple resistant strains in the last twenty to thirty years, but at the same time, microbes and viruses are the rulers of this earth any way you look at it. They are gangbusters at evolution. Frankly, I'm more concerned about the well known effects of the antibiotic run off just from handsoaps etc on flora and fauna (not to mention microbes themselves).

The biggest thing is the doctors themselves are idiots. It made me sick every time that I saw a doctor at the university wearing their white lab coat outside to get food at the truck - you know it didn't get changed before they saw patients (or vice versa). It's generally very idiotic habits that people have the contribute to the widespread contamination of a hospital.

The one that gets me is that you know the vacinne that was developed w/in the last ten years that targets the virus that is responsible for 80% of all infant ear infections? Turns out, that guy was our buddy. Since that niche has been cleared out, a little brother virus that never caused any problem has started taking over -- except it tends to cause a higher percentage of meningitis and even deaths.

[luridmuse.livejournal.com]

mmm MRSA. MRE, VRE, VRSA, and ESBL. I do not miss working with these infections in the rehab.

funny lil thing. Doc told me I probably have colonized MRSA because all the ear infections and strep infections I had as a kid. the advantage of this? I can always have a private room in the hospital if I tell someone. disadvantage is of course being treated like I have the plague.

[birgitm.livejournal.com]

Aaaargh! You scare me with your different layoutness everytime I do approach. Aaaargh!

Seriously, though, the bee thing is really getting frightening. So sad/scary that so many people don't even know how worried they should be about it.

Here where I live we're in the midst of a staph outbreak. Outside hospitals, like in schools, including university, where I happen to be. And including the super-staph that's drug resistant.

Oh, the joy of impending doom at our own hands...

Aaaargh, I say again! :(

[jebbypal]

"layoutness"?? You mean of the post, or of my journal?? :) This has been here a few weeks....basically I'm not smart enough to figure out how to make the pic be a header and then I decided I liked having ben for company as I scrolled down my flist :)