A photo from open sources
Once epidemics mowed entire countries, destroying from 1/3 to 1/2 of the population. Today we are not very afraid of diseases, we are sure in the healing properties of tablets, pills and capsules. But what happens if will drug resistant microbes appear? Plague, cholera, smallpox will again become the horror of humanity. And the appearance of such germs are just a matter of time.
40 year old
Today, hearing about the death of a 50-year-old neighbor, we are sadly sigh: “He died early.” Life expectancy in European countries have already reached the 70-year threshold, and in some crossed this line. But such a “long-liver” humanity has become recently.
Primitive man rarely lived for more than 25 years. Average a resident of Ancient Rome lived for 24 years, an ancient Egyptian – 22, a person The Middle Ages – 24 years. The 40-year-old was considered elderly, the 50-year-old ancient, but the 60-year-old was looked upon as a miracle. Overwhelming most people died young.
The scourge of God – disease
Microbes mowed humanity. Cities Extinct almost. During military campaigns from accompanying the army typhoid and dysentery died more than during the battles. Even a minor wound received in battle could result in death from tetanus, gangrene, or sepsis. Cutting a finger, a person could die from blood poisoning.
A photo from open sources
In 1928, the British bacteriologist A. Fleming received the first the antimicrobial drug is penicillin. In 1941, penicillin saved first life. The era of antibiotics has begun. People have finally become live to old age.
Lap race
The first antibiotics were expensive. Subsequently with the organization of their mass production cost of antibiotics fell they became universally available and most popular medicinal drugs. Doctors prescribed antibiotics to patients, even if possible it was enough to do without them. Yes, and the patients themselves a long course treatment preferred injection or miracle pill the drug.
However, microbes are the same living organisms. Among them began natural selection. In 1950, the first mutant microbes appeared, resistant to antibiotics. Doctors began to prescribe “shock doses”, 2-3 times higher than usual. Microbes responded with new mutations. Thus began this run in a vicious circle: the emergence of a new pharmacologists respond with a new drug, to which microbes react with the appearance of a new species – and so on without end.
Powerless antibiotics
The situation is exacerbated by the widespread use of antibiotics in agricultural industry and veterinary medicine. Ill cows, hens, pigs are stuffed medicines for both recovery and prevention. Each times, eating a cutlet or a piece of sausage, a person takes a dose antibiotic. The person has not yet been sick, and the microbes living in him are already received a “vaccination.”
Modern antibiotics are hundreds of times stronger than their own. “progenitor”, but their effectiveness decreases every year. From 2006 to 2014 immunity of intestinal infection (one of the most common in the world) to antibiotics increased from 1 to 5%, i.e. every 20th case is no longer being treated. Every 10th patient Penicillin does not help with pneumonia. Among patients such tuberculosis – 15%. Acinobacteria causing sepsis simply “champions”: they are resistant to 70% of existing antibiotics.
Pharmacologists are constantly creating new drugs that can kill newly-found strains, but sooner or later they will not be able or will not have time take a new top, and then what?
21st Century Pandemic Kills Humanity
Smallpox claimed the lives of various estimates from 300 to 500 million human. During the second pandemic (in the 14th century), 34 died of the plague one million people – every third resident of Europe. During the first pandemic of the plague (551-580 CE) according to the calculations of historians in Europe and Asia killed about 100 million people.
Millions also claimed the lives of cholera, typhoid, flu, tuberculosis and malaria. The 21st century pandemic will be even worse. If earlier a trip from one country to another took several months, then today is a matter of hours. It is only necessary to manifest the disease not in the lost jungles of Africa, and in the center of civilization – and through for several days, a pestilence will cover the entire planet. And then Apocalypse films about an Earth afflicted with an unknown disease will become prophetic.
Some experts consider the problem of antibiotic resistance – a threat to humanity №1. From the stands of medical universities they keep repeating that it’s not nuclear war and not international terrorism, and a mutated microbe will put a fat cross on human civilization. But to their voices no one has yet listens.
Life time
