“The End of Antibiotics, Period”
by digby
The scariest horror movie you’ll see this year:
The age of antibiotics may be coming to an end.
The world is facing a rise of superbugs that modern antibiotics are powerless to stop. In Hunting the Nightmare Bacteria, veteran journalist David Hoffman examines the disturbing rise of what the CDC has termed “nightmare bacteria” — and investigates why many drug companies have abandoned the development of new antibiotics needed to stop them.
“Twenty-five years ago, there were more than 25 large companies working to discover and develop new antibiotics,” infectious disease doctor Brad Spellberg tells FRONTLINE. “Now there’s two, maybe three.”
The bacteria are spreading in frightening ways with alarming speed, both across the globe and inside hospitals — though few hospitals are willing to talk about the problem publicly.
What can we do to stop or slow their spread? How can you minimize the risks of catching one of these bugs? What government agency is responsible for responding to the threat — and is it doing enough? What will make pharmaceutical companies return to antibiotic research?
Like we don’t have enough to worry about …
Click the link to watch the documentary and read the interviews with various experts. But only if you really like horror movies …
.