An enemy is lurking. And you might even think he's already shown all of his weapons. But I'm not talking about a new coronavirus.
The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that this enemy could cause more than 10 million deaths per year by 2050, which will even surpass deaths from cancer. Still don't know who I'm talking about? What if I told you that humanity is contributing to the success of this enemy?
Yes, it's happening now. We are, little by little, selecting organisms popularly known as superbugs. It's not like they have super powers; in fact, they are antibiotic resistant bacteria .
But this was not always the case, this bacterial resistance is a very recent phenomenon. Bacteria were the first living beings to appear on planet Earth. They are versatile: a single cell working to survive in the most varied environments.
These microorganisms are present all over planet Earth, from volcanoes to the bottom of the sea and well. . .
even in your gut. Yes, there are more bacteria in your body than human cells. And most of them are harmless, they don't do us any harm.
Some bacteria are even essential, such as lactobacilli, which help with digestion, but others can invade our bodies and cause very serious infections. Until the 1930s, millions of people died from bacterial infections that are now easily treatable. A war wound or simply stepping on a nail could result in a fatal infection .
The truth is, before 1940, there was no way to fight bacteria with proper remedies . Until we discovered a powerful weapon: antibiotics. In 1928, Alexander Fleming was growing bacteria trying to find a substance that would be deadly to them.
After a long holiday, when he returned to the lab, he noticed that one of his culture dishes had molded. In normal situations, it would be just another discarded card. But he noticed that around the mold, which was actually a kind of fungus, the bacteria didn't grow.
It was from this species of fungus that he extracted penicillin, the first antibiotic in history. It took a few years for penicillin to reach the market. But from 1940 onwards, it and other antibiotics revolutionized humanity.
And, look, considering how popular these drugs have become, chances are you 've taken plenty of them in your life. I myself know a lot of people who, if I didn't have antibiotics, my friend, I would n't go past 40, no, see… Antibiotics are created to kill bacteria and help our immune system fight an infection. But within a population of bacteria, not all individuals are identical.
Each bacterial cell has a unique genetic material that defines its characteristics, including antibiotic resistance. This means that every time we add antibiotics to a population of bacteria, the few bacteria that are resistant to those drugs end up surviving. Those susceptible to the antibiotic die, but resistant ones are selected.
Today, it is mandatory to have a doctor's prescription to use antibiotics, but for many people they are just a convenience. I know many people who feel a sore throat and already believe that it is the case to take antibiotics. Then, either she presses the doctor to prescribe the medication, or she herself takes some antibiotic that she has at home, without a doctor's prescription.
Another situation that I've seen happen a lot is when there really is a bacterial infection, the doctor correctly prescribes the antibiotic and as soon as he starts to feel better, the person stops the treatment days before. [All of these examples are dangerous! ] And someday, this could lead to a more serious problem.
Write it down: taking antibiotics without a prescription or incorrectly can end up selecting resistant bacteria. You yourself can become infected with a selected bacterium through the indiscriminate use of antibiotics, and this infection may not be cured. That's why I worry when people take over-the-counter antibiotics, don't follow medical advice exactly, or when doctors prescribe antibiotics to patients who don't need them.
I also look concerned at the disposal of antibiotics into the environment, which can select for resistant bacteria that live in soil or water. And I also have to warn you about the risk of infection by resistant bacteria in one of the places that many people think is not at risk: hospitals! Hospital infections are very common.
Surfaces that are touched a lot such as doorknobs, knobs, beds and the bedrooms themselves can be contaminated with resistant bacteria. Therefore, wash your hands when visiting these places, whether in an appointment or when visiting someone in the hospital. Resistant bacteria may seem far from our reality, but when I worked as a biomedic in a clinical laboratory, at least once a week, there was a patient with this bacterium there [image] called KPC - Klebsiella pneumoniae producing carbapenemase.
It's resistant to one of the most potent antibiotics out there. Some strains can be resistant to up to 95% of antibiotics. And anyone can get infected with one of these bacteria.
Today, around 700,000 people die each year from resistant bacteria. Remember that bacteria evolve, but science evolves together! New antibiotics are being developed, but the process is slow and expensive: as I've explained to you a few times.
To develop a new drug requires years of research and a lot of investment, while, on the other hand, resistant bacteria are selected at a very high speed . Some of them manage to inactivate antibiotics. Others expel antibiotics from the cell before they have any action against them.
And resistant bacteria can even transfer resistance genes to others. [Natural selection is really smart, man! ] That's what doctors and scientists around the world are concerned about.
And the WHO itself warns that, if nothing is done, bacterial resistance will be a catastrophe for public health in 2050, causing millions of deaths a year. But calm down, there is a solution! Before I tell you, if you've come this far, let me know in the comments if you ever thought that, in the future, bacteria could be an even bigger problem than the new coronavirus.
And if you still didn't like this video, do it now, will you? ! I am here waiting.
You learned from the COVID-19 pandemic that hand hygiene is one of the measures to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, but the truth is that hand washing goes far beyond that. This simple act can prevent the spread of various viruses, fungi and bacteria, which can be transmitted through contact with contaminated objects, causing infections of the skin, intestine, urinary system, among others. Compared to an antibiotic, hand hygiene may seem like an ineffective measure, but that's because we're used to always thinking about the treatment and not the prevention of problems.
When you wash your hands properly, any organisms in there are destroyed by soap and washed away - or inactivated by 70% alcohol, if that's your choice. Both soap and alcohol have an action to destabilize the chemical structure of microorganisms. This is a simple measure, much cheaper than an antibiotic and very effective in preventing the transmission of bacteria, including resistant ones!
And it is because this is an urgent problem that the month of May is dedicated to raising awareness of measures to combat resistant bacteria. The WHO instituted the World Hand Hygiene Day, on May 5th, to reinforce the importance of this simple act, and the 15th is dedicated to the fight against hospital infections. Each of us has a huge responsibility to face the threat of bacterial resistance .
We have to think that each hospitalization for resistant bacteria could be avoided through an integrated strategy of society, with the encouragement of the rational use of antibiotics and prevention measures. Therefore, we need to take advantage of the month of May to spread knowledge about bacterial resistance. Today, I came here to talk to you about how simple and conscientious attitudes help to fight this enemy.
Reducing the rampant use of antibiotics, following medical guidelines for the treatment of diseases and properly and frequently hand washing can make a difference in dealing with this problem. I hope you liked it! A big hug and I'll see you in the next video.
Goodbye.
