Amongst the world's biggest concerns, like climate change and the spread
of disease, there exists a phenomena called antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotics are vital to our health.
They help fight off harmful bacteria and
help our bodies recover quickly.
However, the problem arises when these
antibiotics are misused and lead to consequences on a global scale.
Welcome back to the McMaster Demystifying Medicine Channel.
Today's topic is Resisting Antibiotic Resistance.
The World Health Organization recognizes antibiotic resistance
as one of the top ten threats to global public health.
In this video, we will address what
it means for bacteria to be antibiotic
resistant, why it's a global threat,
and an expert opinion on what we can do as individuals to address this issue.
But first, how do bacteria work?
Bacteria are found everywhere and in most cases are not harmful to the body.
In fact, we actually need some bacteria to survive.
However, we should be mindful of certain
bacteria that can cause health impacts in humans and animals.
Bacteria are made up of single cells.
They reproduce by growing and replicating
their DNA and then splitting into two identical copies.
Antibiotics, on the other hand, are made up of chemicals and target
bacteria to stop their growth or kill them directly.
Antibiotic resistance refers
to the ability for bacteria to fight against these antibiotics.
So how do bacteria become resistant?
Well, they can develop this resistance in one of two ways. Through genetic changes
or by acquiring the resistance from other bacteria.
First, genetic changes,
also known as mutations, can occur during the reproduction stage,
which makes bacteria resistant to antibiotics.
For instance, one certain mutation could lead to the creation of pumps on the cell
that push the antibiotics out of that cell and therefore promote survival.
Since bacteria with this mutation have a better chance of surviving,
they'll continue to replicate even in the presence of antibiotics.
Secondly, bacteria can also gain resistance from other bacteria when
antibiotic resistant DNA is transferred between cells.
When a bacterium acquires this mutation,
it will then also be protected from being killed by antibiotic drugs.
Now that we know how bacteria become
resistant, it's important to understand why this is such an issue.
Antibiotics that once provided immediate results can now no longer stop bacterial
infections, leading to more and more severe outcomes.
The threat is driven by the overuse
of antibiotics in several different industries.
By using antibiotics inappropriately or
unnecessarily, we increase the likelihood that bacteria will develop resistance
by a random mutation and spread that resistance to its neighbors.
Resistant bacteria are transmitted between
humans and animals through many different ways.
This is what makes antibiotic resistance a global issue.
The cycle starts with farming,
as animals may carry antibiotic resistant bacteria that contaminates meat and dairy
products made from these animals, as well as vegetables made through manure
used as fertilizer. Humans are infected through contact
with food or direct contact with these animals.
Humans may also overuse antibiotics or fail to complete prescription courses,
which can mean that not all harmful bacteria is killed and now have
the opportunity to develop resistance. From there,
humans can spread resistant bacteria in a variety of ways.
Globally, the fastest way is through traveling and international trade,
as resistant bacteria is carried through
contaminated humans, surfaces, and trade imports. It takes
time and resources to create new antibiotics,
so it's crucial that we find ways to keep the problem from getting worse.
In conversation with Dr.
Tomljenovic Berube,
a McMaster University professor who researches bacterial infections,
we realize that the root of this problem is human behavior and our tendency
to underestimate how quick and resilient bacteria are.
We take for granted the availability of
antibiotics, especially in certain
countries, where you can get them over the counter.
In these cases, people can be taking antibiotics
for an infection caused by a virus, rather than a bacteria, which would do nothing
more than create a breeding ground for strong bacteria to survive.
She lists several ways in which we can
make conscious decisions to target this issue.
First, is to ensure that we complete our
course of antibiotics, even if we feel better within a few days of taking them.
Further, we should only take antibiotics as prescribed by a doctor.
For example, in some cases,
bacterial infections can actually resolve on their own without the need of antibiotics,
or the infection may not even be bacterial.
Further, we must dispose of antibiotics responsibly. Instead of flushing them down
the drain or throwing them in the garbage, giving them a chance to come in contact
with bacteria, we should take any additional pills back to the pharmacy.
Dr. TB also says another thing that we
can do is avoid the use of personal care products like hand soaps and shampoos
that contain antibiotics or antimicrobials within them.
Conventional soap and water is just as
effective at getting your hands clean as an antibacterial hand soap would be.
Lastly, we should make conscious decisions about our food sources.
Feeding livestock antibiotics as a way
to keep them healthy and promote their growth, means that we will use antibiotics
unnecessarily and also expose ourselves to them without even having an infection.
Those are just some ways in which us
individuals can take a step towards solving this problem.
In this video, we learned about antibiotic resistance, how bacteria works,
how bacteria comes resistant, what makes antibiotic resistance a global
issue, and what we can do to mitigate this threat.
Thank you for watching and if you like
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