WHO: Common Infections and Minor Injuries Would Kill Again in ‘Post-Antibiotic Era’

Alexander Reed Kelly / Truthdig May 1, 2014 The World Health Organization says the world faces a huge public health threat as bacteria and viruses become increasingly resistant to antibiotic drugs, putting people of any age in danger. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

CDC Sounds the Alarm on How Medicine and Agriculture Are Killing Us

BLANK Sep 19, 2013 Drug-resistant bacteria are causing the deaths of at least 23,000 Americans a year, a problem exacerbated by injudicious use of antibiotics in treatment of patients -- and their pervasive use in agriculture. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Livestock Antibiotics and FDA Inaction: A Look Back

Staff / Truthdig Apr 5, 2012 We learned back in the mid-1970s that livestock antibiotics increase the presence of drug-resistant bacteria in farmworkers. Since then, meat and poultry production has nearly tripled while business, government and public advocates have battled over industry regulation. ProPublica charts that battle's history. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

‘Totally’ Resistant TB Emerges in India

Staff / Truthdig Jan 19, 2012 Four tuberculosis patients in India were found to be untreatable with the best available drugs. Experts who say the country’s program for dealing with the disease does not adequately address resistant strains are calling for an overhaul of its treatment methods, including rigorous adherence to medication regimens. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

New, Killer Strain of E. Coli Crops Up in Europe

Staff / Truthdig Jun 3, 2011 Here's a reason to postpone travel plans to Germany: A new kind of E. coli bacterium has been discovered and has already killed 18 people and infected more than 1,500, according to the BBC. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

A New Twist in the Quest for Extraterrestrials

Staff / Truthdig Dec 3, 2010 A young biochemist has caused a ruckus in the scientific community with her claim that one of the basic elements in the formula that has long been considered to define the building blocks of life may be swapped out -- and for arsenic, no less. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Drug-Resistant Bacteria Follow Soldiers Home

Staff / Truthdig Jan 26, 2007 The US military's evacuation chain that removes wounded soldiers from combat, while effective at saving lives, has helped give rise to an antibiotic-resistant superbug that has spread to civilian hospitals in the U and Europe. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )