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The Antibiotic Paradox: How the Misuse of Antibiotics Destroys Their Curative Powers
The discovery of antibiotics heralded medicine's triumph over previously fatal diseases that once destroyed entire civilizations -- thus earning their reputation as miracle drugs. But today, the terrifying reality of antibiotic-resistant bacteria resulting from our widespread misuse of antibiotics forewarns us that the miracle may be coming to an end. The seemingly innocent consumer who demands antibiotics to treat nonbacterial diseases such as the common cold or plays doctor by saving old prescriptions for later use is paving the way for a future of antibiotic failure. "What harm can it do?" is a popular refrain of people worldwide as they pop another antibiotic pill.Dr. Stuart Levy -- the leading international expert on hazards of antibiotics can have deadly consequences. He explains that we are presently witnessing a massive evolutionary change in bacteria. This build-up of new antibiotic-resistant bacteria in individuals and the environment worldwide is an insidious and silent process. Thus, unwittingly consumers encounter resistant bacteria in their meat, poultry, fish, and vegetables. Unregulated dispensing of antibiotics in poorer countries breeds countless more resistant strains. Since bacteria recognize no geographical boundaries, resistant forms can travel the globe. If this trend continues to grow unchecked, we may someday find that all of our antibiotics are obsolete.Today doctors can no longer expect that their first choice of antibiotic for women's urinary tract infections or children's ear infections will work. Similarly, cancer therapy is rendered useless if patients are unable to fight infections that are sometimes resistant to eight to ten different drugs. In developing countries, people are now dying of previously treatable diseases that are no longer responsive to traditional antibiotics. These problems are just a harbinger of what will come if we do not act now.Dr. Levy, recognized by The New Yorker for his superb contributions to this field, is sending out an urgent message that the world cannot afford to ignore any longer. The goal of this unprecedented investigation into the dangers of antibiotic misuse is to protect the world community from resistant infections and ensure the success of antibiotics for generations to come.
296 pages, Paperback
First published August 21, 1992
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March 22, 2015
Antibiotics are a family of drugs used to treat bacterial infections, including diseases like the bubonic plague, pneumonia, typhus, cholera, and tuberculosis. The first antibiotic to hit the market was penicillin, in 1941. It was soon seen to be a wonder drug, because it saved so many lives. Prior to antibiotics, there were no effective treatments for many life-threatening diseases — they were incurable. The new drugs revolutionized the practice of medicine, giving doctors power that had previously been unimaginable.
Of course, every technological miracle has a dark shadow of harmful side effects, unintended consequences, and fatal flaws. Dr. Stuart Levy described this ominous shadow in his book, The Antibiotic Paradox. He did an excellent job of explaining a very complicated subject in a manner that ordinary folks could readily comprehend.
Our skin and digestive system are home to far more bacteria than the number of cells in our body. Sometimes bacteria get under our skin, and reproduce faster than our immune system can kill them. This is an infection, and infections can sometimes be fatal.
“An antibiotic is a natural substance made by one microorganism that inhibits growth of another microorganism.” Most antibiotics originated as molds or soil bacteria. Both friendly and unfriendly microorganisms enjoy reproducing at a phenomenal rate, and they often mutate genetically. Some of these mutants are drug-resistant, because they can survive contact with one or more antibiotics. These resistant survivors then proceed to produce large numbers of bulletproof offspring.
Science has attempted to eliminate resistant strains by developing new forms of antibiotics. Naturally, the bacteria continued reproducing and mutating until they became resistant to the new super drug in town, sometimes as soon as two years after its introduction.
As fast as science created new antibiotics, infectious bacteria developed resistance to them. It’s the same story with herbicide-resistant weeds, fungicide-resistant plant diseases, and insecticide-resistant crop pests. No matter how hard they try, or how much money they spend, scientists will never put Mother Nature in a cage.
There are a finite number of substances suitable for use as antibiotics. They must be effective, free of serious side effects, and capable of being mass produced. The low-hanging fruit has already been picked, and inventing new antibiotics is becoming more and more challenging and expensive.
Drug companies are losing interest in creating new antibiotics, because they are not highly profitable. This is because they usually work very well, curing the patient in a matter of days, ending the need for further treatment. Drug makers are far more interested in creating medicines that patients have to take for the rest of their lives, because they are goldmines.
Everyone agrees that the problem of antibiotic-resistant disease pathogens will never be solved. The microbes will inevitably develop resistance to any new pharmaceutical weapon. It’s only a matter of time. No amount of money or magic can fix this. Most antibiotic-resistant pathogens are resistant to more than one antibiotic, or MDR (multiple drug resistant). Some MDR pathogens are resistant to all drugs, and are uncontrollable. The magic bullets are losing their spunk.
We are moving inevitably toward the post-antibiotic world, and we are doing little to delay this. Indeed, the way we are using these drugs is speeding us toward the end of their usefulness. Many forms of antibiotic use result in increased profits, and we are far more interested in profits than in the future.
The more we use antibiotics, the faster resistance develops. If our main objectives were to protect human lives, and to delay the arrival of the post-antibiotic era, we would limit their use to treating sick humans. Doctors would quit giving antibiotics to patients suffering from colds or flu, no matter how loud they whine, because these drugs are useless against viral diseases. The misuse of antibiotics by doctors is widespread.
The US produces 50 million pounds of antibiotics annually, and about 70 percent of them are given to livestock and poultry. Most of the drugs given to animals are not to treat disease, but to prevent disease, and to make them grow bigger and faster. Typically, the drugs pass through the animals in active form, in their manure, and persist in the environment. The manure is often spread on fields where food crops are grown. Some of the drugs run off the farm and into drinking water and fish.
Antibiotics are also used on dogs, cats, fur-bearing animals, shellfish, aquarium fish, fish farms, horses, fruit trees, palm trees, ornamental plants, honey bees, potatoes, tobacco, peppers, tomatoes, and celery. The drugs are everywhere, and wherever they are, they promote drug resistance. MDR pathogens are also literally everywhere.
The world of microorganisms is a spooky realm. There are harmless bacteria that are MDR, and they can transfer their drug-resistant characteristics to disease-causing bacteria. Genetic material is readily exchanged between different types of microbes.
In one experiment, a calf was given a marked variety of E. coli bacteria. Before long, the bacteria were found in nearby mice and flies. It spread to pigs, chickens, and turkeys living at a significant distance from the calf. Humans on the farm began excreting the E. coli.
Antimicrobial hand soaps provide no real protection, and may actually be harmful. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, we discovered that rates of allergies and asthma were far lower in Eastern Europe, an environmental disaster area. Some theorize that reduced hygiene inspires healthier immune systems, because they get regular “exercise.” Being too tidy may be unhealthy.
Levy’s objective was to publicize the problem of antibiotic misuse. If we used them with great care, then we could extend their usefulness in treating human diseases. The future of antibiotics is highly uncertain, but Levy is not out to scare us. He suspects that we might not experience a complete antibiotic wipeout in the “foreseeable future” (a fuzzy timeframe).
But the danger is real and substantial. MDR pathogens are now very common. “This situation raises the staggering possibility that a time will come when antibiotics as a mode of therapy will be only a fact of historic interest.” Optimists can celebrate the notion that when antibiotics become useless, far fewer people will die from cancer and heart disease.
Our wild ancestors experienced far less infectious disease because they lived in small, isolated groups. They didn’t live in close contact with other species, nor did they congregate in filthy cities. By living in their traditional, time-proven manner, they remained healthy, and had no need for wonder drugs.
Of course, every technological miracle has a dark shadow of harmful side effects, unintended consequences, and fatal flaws. Dr. Stuart Levy described this ominous shadow in his book, The Antibiotic Paradox. He did an excellent job of explaining a very complicated subject in a manner that ordinary folks could readily comprehend.
Our skin and digestive system are home to far more bacteria than the number of cells in our body. Sometimes bacteria get under our skin, and reproduce faster than our immune system can kill them. This is an infection, and infections can sometimes be fatal.
“An antibiotic is a natural substance made by one microorganism that inhibits growth of another microorganism.” Most antibiotics originated as molds or soil bacteria. Both friendly and unfriendly microorganisms enjoy reproducing at a phenomenal rate, and they often mutate genetically. Some of these mutants are drug-resistant, because they can survive contact with one or more antibiotics. These resistant survivors then proceed to produce large numbers of bulletproof offspring.
Science has attempted to eliminate resistant strains by developing new forms of antibiotics. Naturally, the bacteria continued reproducing and mutating until they became resistant to the new super drug in town, sometimes as soon as two years after its introduction.
As fast as science created new antibiotics, infectious bacteria developed resistance to them. It’s the same story with herbicide-resistant weeds, fungicide-resistant plant diseases, and insecticide-resistant crop pests. No matter how hard they try, or how much money they spend, scientists will never put Mother Nature in a cage.
There are a finite number of substances suitable for use as antibiotics. They must be effective, free of serious side effects, and capable of being mass produced. The low-hanging fruit has already been picked, and inventing new antibiotics is becoming more and more challenging and expensive.
Drug companies are losing interest in creating new antibiotics, because they are not highly profitable. This is because they usually work very well, curing the patient in a matter of days, ending the need for further treatment. Drug makers are far more interested in creating medicines that patients have to take for the rest of their lives, because they are goldmines.
Everyone agrees that the problem of antibiotic-resistant disease pathogens will never be solved. The microbes will inevitably develop resistance to any new pharmaceutical weapon. It’s only a matter of time. No amount of money or magic can fix this. Most antibiotic-resistant pathogens are resistant to more than one antibiotic, or MDR (multiple drug resistant). Some MDR pathogens are resistant to all drugs, and are uncontrollable. The magic bullets are losing their spunk.
We are moving inevitably toward the post-antibiotic world, and we are doing little to delay this. Indeed, the way we are using these drugs is speeding us toward the end of their usefulness. Many forms of antibiotic use result in increased profits, and we are far more interested in profits than in the future.
The more we use antibiotics, the faster resistance develops. If our main objectives were to protect human lives, and to delay the arrival of the post-antibiotic era, we would limit their use to treating sick humans. Doctors would quit giving antibiotics to patients suffering from colds or flu, no matter how loud they whine, because these drugs are useless against viral diseases. The misuse of antibiotics by doctors is widespread.
The US produces 50 million pounds of antibiotics annually, and about 70 percent of them are given to livestock and poultry. Most of the drugs given to animals are not to treat disease, but to prevent disease, and to make them grow bigger and faster. Typically, the drugs pass through the animals in active form, in their manure, and persist in the environment. The manure is often spread on fields where food crops are grown. Some of the drugs run off the farm and into drinking water and fish.
Antibiotics are also used on dogs, cats, fur-bearing animals, shellfish, aquarium fish, fish farms, horses, fruit trees, palm trees, ornamental plants, honey bees, potatoes, tobacco, peppers, tomatoes, and celery. The drugs are everywhere, and wherever they are, they promote drug resistance. MDR pathogens are also literally everywhere.
The world of microorganisms is a spooky realm. There are harmless bacteria that are MDR, and they can transfer their drug-resistant characteristics to disease-causing bacteria. Genetic material is readily exchanged between different types of microbes.
In one experiment, a calf was given a marked variety of E. coli bacteria. Before long, the bacteria were found in nearby mice and flies. It spread to pigs, chickens, and turkeys living at a significant distance from the calf. Humans on the farm began excreting the E. coli.
Antimicrobial hand soaps provide no real protection, and may actually be harmful. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, we discovered that rates of allergies and asthma were far lower in Eastern Europe, an environmental disaster area. Some theorize that reduced hygiene inspires healthier immune systems, because they get regular “exercise.” Being too tidy may be unhealthy.
Levy’s objective was to publicize the problem of antibiotic misuse. If we used them with great care, then we could extend their usefulness in treating human diseases. The future of antibiotics is highly uncertain, but Levy is not out to scare us. He suspects that we might not experience a complete antibiotic wipeout in the “foreseeable future” (a fuzzy timeframe).
But the danger is real and substantial. MDR pathogens are now very common. “This situation raises the staggering possibility that a time will come when antibiotics as a mode of therapy will be only a fact of historic interest.” Optimists can celebrate the notion that when antibiotics become useless, far fewer people will die from cancer and heart disease.
Our wild ancestors experienced far less infectious disease because they lived in small, isolated groups. They didn’t live in close contact with other species, nor did they congregate in filthy cities. By living in their traditional, time-proven manner, they remained healthy, and had no need for wonder drugs.
May 26, 2017
Rozhodně knížka, která stojí za přečtení. Člověk se doví, kam všude se strkají antibiotika v nízkých koncentrací, aby dobytek a drůbež pěkně kypěla a proč a jaký to má dopad na naše životní prostředí a na naší tělesnou mikroflóru jako takovou. A pak taky něco ze zajímavé historie atb.
November 7, 2010
First thing I must admit is that my review is biased, since I work in a related field. This book, for me, was very forgettable. I liked it enough to finish it, but not enough to keep it. The lack of originality of the book combined with reading several of this type of book around the same time leaves me unable to do a REAL review, though I did list a few of the broad topics covered in the book.
As the title indicates, the book focuses on the over prescription of antibiotics and how this has impacted the medical field (i.e. resistance). If I remember correctly it also brings how our society is so pill focused they want something to take for a cold, even if it isn't needed or isn't going to work. How many people have been to the doctors office and heard someone arguing about needing antibiotics for their cold (which the medical staff tries to explain is viral not bacterial)? Wonder why you're told you need to take ALL of an antibiotic prescription? What about how economic status is also fueling this problem? How many people who are reading this review have a few left over antibiotic prescriptions in their medicine cabinet?
This book had some good points, most of which are listed above (if I remember correctly), but they are found in pretty much all books of this type and didn't really add anything that wasn't already addressed elsewhere. If you have time and are new to this type of book, it isn't a bad book, but if you have even a basic understanding of immunology it's going to be a slower, slightly boring read.
As the title indicates, the book focuses on the over prescription of antibiotics and how this has impacted the medical field (i.e. resistance). If I remember correctly it also brings how our society is so pill focused they want something to take for a cold, even if it isn't needed or isn't going to work. How many people have been to the doctors office and heard someone arguing about needing antibiotics for their cold (which the medical staff tries to explain is viral not bacterial)? Wonder why you're told you need to take ALL of an antibiotic prescription? What about how economic status is also fueling this problem? How many people who are reading this review have a few left over antibiotic prescriptions in their medicine cabinet?
This book had some good points, most of which are listed above (if I remember correctly), but they are found in pretty much all books of this type and didn't really add anything that wasn't already addressed elsewhere. If you have time and are new to this type of book, it isn't a bad book, but if you have even a basic understanding of immunology it's going to be a slower, slightly boring read.
August 27, 2016
Okay, I'm a nerd. So sue me. I read ultra nerdy, scientific books for fun. But this one was really well-written and absolutely facinating.
July 28, 2014
Interesting topic, boringly written. But if you ever get an opportunity to hear Levy speak, you should.
December 3, 2016
It was cool I guess
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews