Super Bugs !

The human race has waged an unending war against infections.   History is littered with horror tales of death cutting a great swathe through medieval society which the healers were powerless to prevent.  Bubonic Plague - which was known as the " Black Death " - ravaged Europe from 1340 until 1400, and in 1919 - at the end of the first world war - what became known as " Spanish Flu " swept the entire world.

A medical breakthrough occurred in 1928 when a Scottish scientist, Alexander Fleming discovered a wonder drug called Penicillin.  For the first time, the medical profession had a tool that could banish most forms of infection and the wide use of Penicillin saved many lives from the ravages of the second world war.  It seemed that the golden age of medicine had arrived and further research expanded the range of drugs that were called " antibiotics ".

Unfortunately, they were not wisely used.  Many patients believed that they cured the common cold, which is a virus unconnected to antibiotics and many doctors supplied scripts to placate demanding patients.  Whenever a patient failed to take the full course of antibiotic treatment this weakened the powers of the drug.   The infection got a taste of the ingredient involved, but survived and developed against it's harmful effect.  The medical profession was forced to increase the dose and over time the infection became virtually immunised against the healing power of the drug.

Worse was to follow.  The agricultural industries discovered that antibiotics could be used to improve farming output and soon vast quantities were being used commercially, further weakening it's resistance to infection as it's powers were diluted.   It became common for human patients to require a full exposure to the expanding range of antibiotics to deal with infections that had previously been simple to suppress.

In the 1980's the western world faced death at the hands of an infection called " Golden Staph ".  This was the first of what became known as the " Super Bugs " and it ravaged hospitals.   It was possible to die from an infection that followed the simplest and safest medical procedure, because this " bug " was resistant to most antibiotics and spread rapidly due to the slightest lapse of medical hygiene.

We are now facing a new threat.   The arsenal of antibiotics has shrunk to  almost zero and at the same time infections have morphed upward to deliver a new menace called " Gram Negative " bacteria.   This promises to be an infection against which we have no defences.    Even the slightest cut can provide an entry point that allows a steady deterioration - and an inevitable death.

The damage has been done and this new form of Gram Negative bacteria is now with us.   We badly need a new medical breakthrough as happened when Penicillin became the wonder drug.   Medical science is aware of the risk and huge sums are being spent on research - but success is elusive.

Hopefully, a bright mind may be our salvation and save us from a medical retreat to the dark ages, but if that happens we will need to not repeat the same situation that got us into this mess.  The use of drugs needs to be restricted to preserve their medicinal value.   Whether we can apply the discipline needed is another question that remains to be answered !