[bootlegga]

DerbyX DerbyX:

bootlegga bootlegga:

The point is that if people have survived this 'superbug', then they are immune and science should theoretically be able to figure out why they are now immune and develop a new batch of antibiotics to wipe this fella out too. That's how they develop the flu vaccine every year (and yes I know viruses and bacteria are different beasts), but I assume that immunologists could reverse engineer something (penicillin, amoxicillin, whatever) to be able wipe out this bastard too.

Then again, maybe not, I don't honestly know.

Actually Boots, a vaccine isn't an antibiotic. Its an attenuated (non-virulent or inactivated) version of the target bug. It lets our immune system develop its own defences.

Theoretically speaking it doesn't matter if the bug was 0% fatal or 100% fatal. It won't affect the ability to develop a treatment. The more pressing factor would be the ability to culture the bug.

I know that a vaccine and an anti-biotic are different, but I'm foolishly naive that the science that has created vaccines and anti-biotics for almost a century can develop something for NDM-1.

If not, then as Bart said, it's the end of the world!

Still, there's some hope. A Calgary newspaper (I can't remember which one I read it in) reported over the weekend, we know that the Alberta man who caught the superbug isn't an Edmonton Eskimo, because as all football fans know, Eskimos can't catch anything!

[andyt]

Superbugs already exist - they're in hospitals all over Canada. look up msra or superbug for that matter. The vaunted science for which you have so much hope has not been able to develop anything against them. The best hope is to use a combination of anti-biotics. Vaccines only work against viruses,

This gene is not a superbug, it's just a gene that can transform heretofore benign bacteria into anti-biotic resistant ones. Because Indian hospitals use anti-biotics carlessly and far too often, it creates conditions for developing anti-biotic resistant strains of bacteria. Western health tourists then bring those bugs back with them to spread over here. Probably a greater danger even for Americans, since they have proportionally so many more health tourists. OTOH, they don't have the per capita concentration of Indians that we have in Vancouver, who are going to India not just for health reasons, but to find spouses etc.

Welcome to globalization and the law of unintended consequences.

[fifeboy]

andyt andyt:

Because Indian hospitals use anti-biotics carlessly and far too often, it creates conditions for developing anti-biotic resistant strains of bacteria.

Not just Indian hospitals. Indiscriminate use of anti-biotic drugs is a sleeping time bomb.

[andyt]

fifeboy fifeboy:

andyt andyt:

Because Indian hospitals use anti-biotics carlessly and far too often, it creates conditions for developing anti-biotic resistant strains of bacteria.

Not just Indian hospitals. Indiscriminate use of anti-biotic drugs is a sleeping time bomb.

Absolutely. But we do better here in the west than they do in Asia.

[Benn]

raydan raydan:

What!!! no bird/pig/cat/hippo flu this year?

Just what I thought when I read this headline. The WHO and media going to be crying wolf again this time getting countries to fork over tens of millions to prepare for this human race destroying whatever you want to call it?

The Haiti Earthquake seemed to have solved the Flu issue. After it happened the killer flu was dropped off the papers, more or less compared to before that. Before they were saying they would need everyone immunized to assure they beat it. Then a few weeks back I saw a blurb on like page 12 in the corner under a car ad where some Ontario health guy was now saying with only 25% getting immunized that was enough to save the day from the killer Flu.

Maybe this bug is the real deal major piss your pants while breaking the national treasury to fight it threat, however excuse me if I'm skeptical. I'm certain it exists, just no convinced yet its so doom and gloom. At this point I'm still more worried about getting hit by a car while mowing my back yard.

[Gunnair]

Benn Benn:

raydan raydan:

What!!! no bird/pig/cat/hippo flu this year?

Just what I thought when I read this headline. The WHO and media going to be crying wolf again this time getting countries to fork over tens of millions to prepare for this human race destroying whatever you want to call it?

The Haiti Earthquake seemed to have solved the Flu issue. After it happened the killer flu was dropped off the papers, more or less compared to before that. Before they were saying they would need everyone immunized to assure they beat it. Then a few weeks back I saw a blurb on like page 12 in the corner under a car ad where some Ontario health guy was now saying with only 25% getting immunized that was enough to save the day from the killer Flu.

Maybe this bug is the real deal major piss your pants while breaking the national treasury to fight it threat, however excuse me if I'm skeptical. I'm certain it exists, just no convinced yet its so doom and gloom. At this point I'm still more worried about getting hit by a car while mowing my back yard.

Wait till CBC gets a hold of this. it'll be a night and day fearfest like the fall coverage of Swine Flu.