Are you worried about superbugs? If left unchecked, antibiotic resistance will become a global pandemic far more deadly than COVID-19. But what is it, and which superbugs do you need to be aware of?
We all know that Ebola is a virus and Salmonella is bacteria, right? But do you know what a white blood cell looks like when it is hunting bacteria?
Whilst we tell ourselves that we know all about the most dangerous bacteria, here is a breakdown of the top 10 biggest threats to mankind.
- Acinetobacter baumannii (blood infections and pneumonia)
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa (mild in healthy people, severe blood infections and pneumonia in hospitals)
- Enterobacteriaceae (E. coli and Salmonella)
- Enterococcus faecium
- Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
- Helicobacter pylori
- Campylobacter (food poisoning)
- Salmonellae
- Neisseria gonorrhoeae
- Haemophilus influenza
You probably have been to the doctor because you are suffering the effects of these nasty little bugs. These multi-celled but basic organisms show a resilience and an ability to survive. In some ways, we must admire them, as this is the evolutionary path that has got us where we are today. Bacteria colonised this planet long before man and will no doubt still be here at the next big bang too. But, for the future health of human and animals on this planet, we need to prevent further spread of resistant bacteria.
Just for the record here is a great animation of how a flu virus invades your body:
Bacteria shows an increasing resilience to antibiotics at an alarming rate the world over. But don’t panic Antibiotic Research UK are developing new drugs to help! Find out more about our research here.
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