The Antibiotic Apocalypse

What would your reaction be if we informed you that humanity collaborates to develop the ultimate superbug? A bug with the potential to cause the death of billions of people. 

It is occurring right now. We are now focusing on the development of a super bacterium. As one of the first forms of life on Earth, bacteria are one of its best known. They are experts in survival and can be found anywhere, even though they are the tiniest object we still perceive as alive. 

The overwhelming majority of germs are entirely safe for humans. The number in the trillions in your body aids in your survival. On the other hand, others will invade your body, rapidly spread, and cause you harm. Historically, millions of people have perished because of bacterial illnesses. 

Previously, we developed a superweapon called "antibiotics," which, in conjunction with vaccines, transformed medicine and saved millions of lives. Antibiotics rapidly eliminate the most vulnerable germs, leaving only a few that the human immune system can easily handle. 

Antibiotics accomplish this in some ways. 

Consider a bacterium, a complicated machine that relies on thousands of complex operations to stay alive and functional. Antibiotics, for example, disrupt this complex machinery by interfering with its metabolism, significantly limiting its growth and rendering them less dangerous. 

Certain antibiotics specifically target DNA and prevent it from duplicating, preventing bacteria from spreading and eventually killing them. They rip the bacteria's outer layer apart, enabling their insides to flow out and quickly kill them.

All of this occurs without endangering the body's cells. Evolution, on the other hand, is a complicated issue. A small proportion of the germs that enter your body may have evolved a defense mechanism by accident. 

For example, by intercepting antibiotics and changing the molecule so that it becomes safe. Alternatively, they can direct their efforts toward pumps that discharge antibiotics until they cause damage. A few immunological bacteria are not a problem because the immune system can deal with them. 

They can, however, propagate their immunity if they escape. What techniques do bacteria use to spread immunity? 

First, bacteria contain two distinct forms of DNA: the chromosome and little free-floating segments called plasmids. They will embrace one another and transfer plasmids to acquire vital talents. 

This method enables the rapid spread of immunity throughout a population. Bacteria can also harvest and accumulate DNA fragments from deceased bacteria via transformation. Additionally, this occurs via bacterium species and can result in superbugs resistant to many antibiotics. 

There are still a few superbugs roaming the globe. Hospitals provide them with an ideal nesting site. Individuals have a short memory. The atrocities of the pre-antibiotic era have vanished from memory. 

Today, we see this vital treatment more as a commodity than a game-changing scientific breakthrough. This has resulted in a strange disconnect where hundreds of millions of people in developing nations still lack access to antibiotics. Simultaneously, antibiotics are prescribed too liberally and recklessly in other parts of the world. 

Antibiotics should be taken as a last resort, not just because you have a cold. Another serious issue is the usage of antibiotics throughout the meat processing process. Humanity possesses between 20 and 30 billion livestock animals at any point in time. 

Numerous animals are maintained in horrible conditions to keep the cost of meat down, including confined quarters and unclean environments that act as breeding grounds for illness. Antibiotics are given to a wide variety of animals to eradicate as many bacteria as possible and prevent them from becoming ill. 

That a cheeseburger must cost a dollar; predictably, this strategy has resulted in the development of a growing number of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms. To tackle this, we employ a combination of antibiotics and a covert weapon: specialized drugs designed to eradicate germs that have developed resistance. 

To avoid the formation of a super bacterium, these must be utilized strictly according to established protocols. As a result, we reasoned. In late 2015, China delivered frightening news. There had been a discovery of resistance to Colistin, a life-saving antibiotic. 

Colistin is an older drug that was rarely used due to the possibility of liver damage. As a result, it developed no resistance, making it an excellent antibiotic last option for such complex infections that emerge in hospitals due to bacteria becoming resistant to various other drugs. 

The tolerance of bacteria to Colistin is highly worrying. It can potentially breach the final line of defense, resulting in a considerable number of casualties. 

How did this happen? 

Colistin has been fed to millions of animals in Chinese pig farms for years. Resistant germs evolved and moved undetectably from animal to animal, eventually reaching humans. On any given day, the Earth has approximately 100,000 flights, effectively connecting every individual. 

We developed the modern world while also laying the groundwork for a pandemic that might be devastating. However, there is no reason to panic just yet. 

Bacteria multiply, humans conduct science, new antibiotics are developed to replace older ones, and technology develops daily. While the issue is legitimate and essential, the battle is far from over. 

If humankind plays its cards correctly, superbugs may not be so super after all.