The global epidemic of antibiotic resistance is poised to create lasting problems in the areas of healthcare, food, and travel. An article that appeared in The Guardian in March of 2016 details exactly how the issue of antibiotic resistance has affected and will continue to affect these three major sectors.
Healthcare providers increasingly deal with infections that are resistant to a wide range of antibiotic treatments. In the article, Dr. Sarath Malepati discusses one such “superbug”, Costridium difficile. “I remember a professor in medical school explaining that I may see a handful of cases of toxic megacolon, [or the end stage of C. diff], which can be a lethal condition, over the course of my entire career,” he says. “I probably see one to three cases of it a year.” C. diff serves as a microcosm of the significant upward trend in drug resistant, possibly fatal infections.
The article also describes the devastating effect that antibiotic resistant infections can have in nursing homes. Seniors with infections that resist treatment are given ever-stronger antibiotics, often resulting in other, more serious infections. Says Dr. Malepati, “many of these patients do not have the health reserve to withstand multiple disease ‘hits’ and sadly end up dying for what was once a routine treatable infection.”
In response to the growing issue of antibiotic resistance, Dr. Malepati created EZC Pak, an over the counter remedy designed to support your immune system's fight against infections such as the common cold or flu. The aim of EZC Pak is to curb the unnecessary prescription of antibiotics, a large factor in the antibiotic resistance epidemic.
Written by:
Jared LaMar, UCLA student
