Comments on: The “Nightmare Bacteria”: An Explainer

By: Roland

Roland — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 04:36:45 +0000

Replace some or all stainless steel surfaces in hospitals with a naturally anti-microbial surface: copper.

By: Glenn Mercer

Glenn Mercer — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 18:13:33 +0000

Jamie and others: I believe those antimicrobial hand squirters like Purell are okay to use because they don’t breed resistance in bacteria, since the method of attack is so brutal (destroying cell walls I think). Sort of like humans can evolve resistance to disease X but not to being chopped up by an axe. But don’t take my word for it, please research further!

By: osaichella

osaichella — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 17:01:40 +0000

recalling what the japanese zen agriculturist masanobu fukoka once said … man knows very little or nothing about nature!

By: Mike Lewinski

Mike Lewinski — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 22:45:30 +0000

Carl, I think you turned me on to Rob Dunn’s book which has a chapter on the hospital environment. My take-away was that in an attempt to create a sterile interior environment by keeping the outdoors out, hospitals create an environment where “bad” bacteria can thrive with little competition. So there’s the idea we need to open the windows to keep these things in check.

I also hope that quorum quenching strategies are being developed. It seems like muting/deafening bacteria so they can’t communicate is a potentially superior strategy so that bacteria aren’t killed and resistance doesn’t evolve in the same way.

By: Ed Yong

Ed Yong — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 23:46:17 +0000

BWAHAHAHAHA! I am in your blog, taking all your credit!

By: Keely Chaisson

Keely Chaisson — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 20:57:30 +0000

As a PhD student in a medical-research environment, I have encountered so many people who think all the research funding is going to go (or even should go) to diseases that statistically most of us will die from… obesity/diabetes/cancer/heartdisease/neurodegenerative disorders. I’ve actually been kind of mocked by some of them for being a microbio person. It makes me so angry, because micro is still SO IMPORTANT, scientifically and practically. RARGH.

By: Tim Fothergill

Tim Fothergill — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 16:03:40 +0000

Excellent article. Having done my Ph.D. in plasmid biology I really do think that it’s time we start thinking about what a post-antibiotic world is going to look like. While new drugs are vital they really ought to be left for people on death’s door.

I absolutely agree that research needs to be incentivised but I’m not going to hold me breath with this Congress. Right now I wouldn’t trust them to organise a piss up in a brewery.

An understanding of the microbiome will obviously help hugely but one thing that’s hardly ever mentioned is that it doesn’t matter how many antibiotics a bug is resistant to if your immune system can deal with it on its own. I would be interested to know how much effort is being made in developing new vaccines. There are examples of such that work reasonably well, I’m thinking of Diphtheria in particular. I’m sure more effort could be made in this area.

Also, I always encourage people do just be dirty more often so as to help maintain their microbiome and educate their immune system. Besides, it’s fun too.

By: Diane

Diane — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 15:05:24 +0000

I wonder if gowning & gloving for every patient could really be feasible. Already patients who are on contact precautions are seen less by staff because gowning & gloving for each interaction is a pain. But if it works…

By: Maryanne

Maryanne — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 14:40:41 +0000

Doctors shoul not wear neckties, they touch patients and can possibly pick up bacteria that will be transmitted from patient to patient. They also never get washed!

By: Han van der Heide

Han van der Heide — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 13:56:48 +0000

Yup, soap and water is just as good for cleaning your hands. Plus triclosan, an ingredient in most anti-bacterial hand cleaners, is suspected to act as an endocrine disruptor in humans (it’s proven it has effects on animals)