The Rise of Superbugs and the Abuse of Antibiotics

Preventing the abuse of antibiotics in humans should remain the focus of regulatory agencies, medical societies and the media.  

Ahmadiyya Times | News Staff | Letters
Source & Credit: New York Times | Opinion - Letter
By Dr. Faheem Younus | Baltimore, MD

To the Editor [New York Times]:
Re “The Spread of Superbugs” (column, March 7):
After learning that Nicholas D. Kristof believes that agribusiness is a major culprit behind the emergence of superbugs, as an infectious diseases expert, I feel that he needs to make rounds with me.


In reality, a patient commonly receives (or in some cases, demands) an antibiotic — when it’s not needed. Those who fail to improve get admitted to hospitals and become victims to further abuse with even stronger antibiotics. This, not agribusiness, leads to the development of superbugs.

Some patients suffer; others succumb. As cost-effectiveness is the only attention-grabber for the hospital administrators, such poor outcomes go unnoticed. The business of health care starts looking no different from agribusiness — and the cycle keeps repeating itself.

Preventing the abuse of antibiotics in humans should remain the focus of regulatory agencies, medical societies and the media. Alleging that “agribusiness madly overuses antibiotics, leaving them ineffective for sick humans” is barking up the wrong tree.

Faheem Younus
Baltimore, March 8, 2010

The writer is chief and medical director, Division of Infectious Disease and Prevention, Upper Chesapeake Health, and clinical assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Read original post here : The Rise of Superbugs and the Abuse of Antibiotics


De. Faheem Younus, Sadr Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya [MKA] (President of the Ahmdiyya Muslim Youth Association ) USA, spearheads numerous  community service projects through MKA volunteers teams in the USA.