My mother was born in 1915, amazingly giving birth to me in her mid-forties. She lost a few childhood friends and relatives to diseases before vaccines were developed. She had her tonsils removed with ether as the anaesthesia; she had a deep foot wound treated before there were antibiotics. One interesting story she told me was her little brother developing an ear infection. A family doctor recommended a mastoid operation, but said the boy could lose his hearing in that ear. When my grandmother hesitated, the doctor said trials were being done with a new medication at a nearby research hospital. I think it was Emory University. My grandmother took her son, my mother’s brother, to that facility and they gave him a treatment that cleared up his ear infection. The treatment was penicillin, which was discovered in 1928 by Alexander Fleming at Saint Mary’s Hospital in London. At that time, U.S. citizens had the good sense to trust scientists and physicians more than politicians and charlatans.

#Science #Medicine #Antibiotics #Disease

Forget Covid - this is scarier

AMR is already contributing to more than 35,000 deaths a year in the UK, estimates suggest. But the government “remains a long way” from achieving its aim of containing and controlling AMR, the National Audit Office (NAO) said.

If action is not taken to stem the crisis, the consequences for health, life expectancy, the functioning of the NHS and the wider economy would be “huge”.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/feb/26/uk-falling-short-in-fight-against-rise-of-superbugs-resistant-to-antibiotics

#UkPolitics #Health #Superbugs #Antibiotics

this is also a problem in #Norway. Nobody's talking about the over #fishing or the #trawling off the coast that is destroying reefs, or even the fish farms in #Norwegian #fjords that are dumping massive amounts of #antibiotics into the water - because fish farms are havens for bacteria and viruses.

But some Spanish or Portuguese boats come up to take away quota from Norwegian companies? RABBLE, RABBLE, RABBLE!

People are greedy idiots sometimes.

As superbugs spread across the globe, death rates from antimicrobial resistance are set to double, says England’s former chief medical officer

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jan/05/antibiotic-emergency-could-claim-40-million-lives-in-next-25-years

I have seen plausible modelling that indicates this may well be a significant underestimate based both on the widespread use (and abuse) of antibiotics and the behaviours of some of the ‘new’ antibiotics resistant bacteria.

#Antibiotics #AntibioticResistance #Infection

While its not really news, warning about the antibiotic crisis continue to be voiced, while at the same time our (the world's) addiction to over-deploying them goes on.

It may be too late to halt the rise of antibiotic resistant strains of infection & it seems likely we may be about to plunge back into C19th rates of mortality from diseases & medical interventions;

yet one more aspect of our lives where we are moving backwards not forwards.

#antibiotics #health
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jan/05/antibiotic-emergency-could-claim-40-million-lives-in-next-25-years

Um, since cavities haven't been a problem for me (I've had just one), I think I'll switch back to using baking soda and peroxide again (with my own dried mint if I want mintiness).

Some Tom's of Maine toothpaste may be contaminated with #HarmfulBacteria, FDA says

#FDA's warning about multiple types of bacteria and "a black mold-like substance" found in a facility that makes #TomsOfMaine toothpaste has consumers worried about a possible recall.

November 20, 2024

"A recent inspection of a Tom's of Maine facility found 'significant violations' that included different types of bacteria detected in the water and the company's toothpaste, as well as a '#BlackMold-like substance' located behind a water storage tank, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

"The FDA determined the company's response to its findings was 'inadequate' and called for a 'thorough review of all #microbiological hazards,' according to a letter sent by the agency to the brand's parent company, Colgate-Palmolive.

"An inspection in May of a facility in #SanfordMaine, discovered the bacteria #PseudomonasAeruginosa in #water used to manufacture Tom’s Simply White Clean Mint Paste and to clean equipment. The bacteria can cause infections in the blood, lungs and urinary tract, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"The letter also stated that there were multiple incidents of finding a bacteria called #RalstoniaInsidiosa in water in the facility. A third type of bacteria, #ParacoccusYeei, was found in the finished product of the company's Wicked Cool! Anticavity Toothpaste, per the FDA. The type of Paracoccus yeei found can cause infection that may be resistant to #antibiotics.

"An FDA inspector also found 'a black mold-like substance' at the base of a hose reel behind a water storage tank within one foot of stainless-steel pails used to manufacture the toothpaste, according to the letter. 'Powder residues' were also seen in a stainless-steel tray next to a batch of #TomsSillyStrawberryAnticavity toothpaste.

"The company told the FDA that the room was thoroughly cleaned to remove the black substance and the powder residue, but the FDA called for more to be done."

https://www.today.com/health/recall/toms-of-maine-toothpaste-bacteria-rcna180976

#Toothpaste #ProductRecall #AntibioticResistantBacteria