Stranger and Scarier: Superbug Fact or Fiction?

Germs that cause illnesses that can kill you

Germs that can’t be killed by basic antibiotics

Germs that multiply really fast

Some common but serious infections are getting harder to treat because more bacteria, viruses, and parasites (organisms that live in or on other living things) are able to survive some of the drugs we use, like basic antibiotics. These include pneumonia, tuberculosis, HIV, and infections that happen after surgery.

North America and Europe

Africa and Asia

Pretty much everywhere

The World Health Organization says they’re in every country. If it keeps getting harder to prevent and treat infections, things like chemotherapy and major surgery (C-sections or knee replacements, for example) can become very risky.

5,000

800,000

2 million

If antibiotics don’t work against an infection, doctors have to prescribe drugs that can be less effective, more expensive, and have more side effects. People who get sick from these kinds of infections also usually need longer to recover. 

Clostridium difficile (C. diff)

Tuberculosis

MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus )

This is a strain of bacteria that causes life-threatening diarrhea. It’s No. 1 on the list of urgent threats, according to the CDC.

$15 billion

$27 billion

$55 billion

This number includes $20 billion in direct health care costs and $35 billion in lost productivity (people being too sick to work).

True

False

These use alcohol, not antibiotics, to kill germs. But the CDC says soap and water is still the best way to clean your hands.

15%

30%

65%

Doctors often prescribe antibiotics to people who have illnesses caused by viruses (like the common cold, sinus infections, and ear infections). But they only work on bacteria, so they’re not effective treatments for those.

Bronchitis

Strep throat

Whooping cough

It’s usually caused by a virus, so an antibiotic won’t help and might contribute to the rise of a drug-resistant infection.

Avoid infections

Never take antibiotics

Avoid vaccines

The key is to lower the number of antibiotics that are used each year. You can help with that by staying healthy. Keep up to date on your vaccines, use safe practices when you’re cooking, and wash your hands with soap and water.       

Save antibiotics for your next illness

Skip doses so you take fewer drugs

Take all your prescribed medications

Finish the pills prescribed by your doctor, even after you feel better. If your doctor doesn’t think you need antibiotics, don’t ask for them.

True

False

Over time, bacteria that survive treatment by drugs can pass that ability on to other bacteria. But this is happening faster than it normally would because of things we do, like use antibiotics too often and give them to livestock to make them grow. 

True

False

About 70% of antibiotics sold here are used on livestock. Scientists say that could lead to drug-resistant bugs that can be passed to humans. Many large companies in the food industry have agreed to use fewer antibiotics in their meat or stop using them altogether.

1940

1972

1996

The first case was a strain of the bacteria that causes staph infections — it was resistant to penicillin. By the time Alexander Fleming (the man who discovered that drug in 1928) won the Nobel Prize for medicine in 1945, he was already talking about the dangers of drug resistance.

Your Score:

You correctly answered out of questions.

Resistance is futile — you know your bugs!

Not bad, but you could use a booster.

Hmm, you’re a bit shaky. Get some rest and read up.

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Stranger and Scarier: Superbug Fact or Fiction?

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