Topic: Solution to killer superbug found in Norway

[Nemesis]

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Look closer, however, at a microscopic level, and this place is pristine. There is no sign of a dangerous and contagious staph infection that killed tens of thousands of patients in the most sophisticated hospitals of Europe, North America and Asia this year, soaring virtually unchecked.

The reason: Norwegians stopped taking so many drugs.

Twenty-five years ago, Norwegians were also losing their lives to this bacteria. But Norway's public health system fought back with an aggressive program that made it the most infection-free country in the world. A key part of that program was cutting back severely on the use of antibiotics.

[Bonk]

I know, everytime I see a bottle of antibacterial hand-soap, dish soap, or the new ethanol gel giant Purell^TM I just gotta shake my head.

Mechanical abrasion is the most effective antibacterial process known. Elbow grease people, good old fashioned elbow grease. Well, then there's heat too I guess. I'm not aware of any thermophilic human pathogens yet. It's the psychrophilic ones that are a threat

I have observed Pseudomonas aeruginosa survive without external nourishment on bare steel under 95:5 ethanol:water for seven days. They might have lived longer but I needed the steel back and had to clean them off. It's all in the biofilm slime (snot) they produce to protect themselves. (Listeria on meat packing gear anyone?)

So what's that Purell^TM good for again? Oh right, increasing demand for ethanol at a really bad time. (I expect significantly considering the proliferation of these pumps... I wonder if they are denatured or will the street people drink it like they used to do lysol?...)  Lots of plain soap, hot water and some time with a fresh scrubbrush will be much more effective and environmentally friendly.

That said, I have a theory that continual exposure to low levels of bacteria maintains a healthy immune system (within reason), and that minimising exposure to anti-bacterial agents both reduces the chances of producing resistant strains and allows beneficial symbiotic bacteria to party on unhindered in natural competitive cycles.

The trend that I have observed in medicine is to over prescribe antibiotics, but under prescribe them at the same time. By this I mean they are prescribed too often but in insufficient amounts for too short a time, producing the optimum conditions for the production of resistant strains. Save em for when it really counts, and then don't scrimp on it. At least 1.5 grams of penicillin equivalent per day for at least ten days. None of this 500-750mg per day for 5 to seven days of less effective analogues... that is what got us here.

 

[Starfox1701]

This is true. I know for most people out there this will seam counter intuitive but running to the doctor everytme you have the slightes ache or pain is the worst thing in the world you can do. This is especially true for your kids. The reason is simple. Through out your life your are costantly training your immune system to fight these bugs. Think of it as your body is a nation, your immune system is your military, and the germs are invading armies and terroists. Like with any army the more training your immune system gets the better it is going to work. Meds like antibiotics should be a last resort only when its clear you are lossing the fight yourself or you know for a fact you have somthing your personal army can't kill. In many cases antibiotics are like nukes killing friendly germs as well as harmfull ones and most people don't relise that our body actually has dozens of helpfull germs living inside that we need and that our immune system lets live there. They help with digetion and nuteiant absortion and maybe some other things we have not discovered yet. Point is while there are somethings like Y pestus (yes this is a somewhat exterem example) that antibiotics are the answer but for your average illness rest, good food and time are the best curatives you could take.