antibiotics

MRSA superbugs actually caused by widespread antibiotics use in the 1960s

Wednesday, March 31, 2010 by: E. Huff, staff writer
Tags: superbugs, antibiotics, health news

Pin It
(NaturalNews) A recent study published in the journal Science has concluded that the emergence of antibiotic-resistant superbugs, also known as methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), was caused by the widespread use of synthetic antibiotic drugs which began in the 1960s.

Scientists analyzed 63 samples of MRSA that originated from a bacterium lineage called ST239 that is responsible for a large percentage of MRSA outbreaks in hospitals all over the world. The samples, which researchers collected over a 20-year period between 1982 and 2003, mostly came from North and South America, Europe, Australia, and Asia.

The team identified a pattern of mutations throughout the course of the strain's evolution that illustrated its tendency to develop resistance to antibiotics. Utilizing a technique developed by scientists at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Hinxton, Cambridgeshire that traces bacterial genetic codes, scientists were able to pinpoint the origins of the strain back to 1960s Europe, a time when widespread antibiotic use was just beginning to take hold in mainstream medicine.

Another aspect to the research was identifying how deadly bacterial strains are passed from person to person, hospital to hospital, and ultimately continent to continent. In order to accomplish this, scientists used a new technique that compares whole genomes with one another rather than isolated subsections of DNA code.

Experts believe such an approach will greatly help in preventing the spread of MRSA and other deadly bacteria by providing detailed information about how strains are transmitted. The technique also more accurately differentiates between closely related strains, improving the reliability of global MRSA surveillance programs.

The rapid rise of deadly hospital superbugs like MRSA continues to place the overuse of antibiotics in the spotlight as the culprit. Numerous studies and reports have concluded that synthetic antibiotic use has encouraged the growth of bacterial mutations that threaten public health.

One area where antibiotic-resistant superbugs have been emerging is on factory farms where heavy amounts of antibiotics are used to treat sick animals. Dirty feedlots, confined hatcheries, and other industrial techniques of raising animals for food are known to harbor and spread deadly diseases. Animals in these conditions are regularly given antibiotics, leading to the growth of antibiotic-resistant strains that continually require stronger treatments.

Many scientists still believe that the answer to deadly superbugs is to develop ever-stronger drugs to try to combat them. Based on the evidence, it is these very drugs that are the cause of the superbugs in the first place. Perhaps it is time to take a different approach.

Sources for this story include:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7045108/Widespread-antib...

Get breaking news alerts on GMOs, fluoride, superfoods, natural cures and more...
Join over four million monthly readers. Email privacy 100% protected. Unsubscribe at any time.

Articles Related to This Article:

The End of Antibiotics and the Rise of Iodine as an Effective Alternative

The End of Antibiotics

Antibiotics Kill Eighty Thousand Chinese a Year

California pharmacy floods population with free antibiotics, promoting deadly superbugs and environmental pollution

Negative Reactions to Antibiotics

Antibiotics May Make Us Fat

Related video from NaturalNews.TV


Your NaturalNews.TV video could be here.
Upload your own videos at NaturalNews.TV (FREE)

Have comments on this article? Post them here:

comments powered by Disqus

Related Articles:

The End of Antibiotics and the Rise of Iodine as an Effective Alternative

The End of Antibiotics

Antibiotics Kill Eighty Thousand Chinese a Year

California pharmacy floods population with free antibiotics, promoting deadly superbugs and environmental pollution

Negative Reactions to Antibiotics

Antibiotics May Make Us Fat

Take Action: Support NaturalNews.com

Email this article to a friend

Permalink to this article:

Reprinting this article: Non-commercial use OK, cite NaturalNews.com with clickable link.

Embed article link: (copy HTML code below):
Most Popular
Today | Week | Month | Year

See all Top Headlines...




GET YOUR FREE GIFT + SHOW DETAILS.


Now Available from NaturalNews.TV

Also on NaturalNews:

Health Ranger Videos
Activist music
CounterThink Cartoons
Food documentaries
FREE Special Reports
Podcasts
Colloidal Silver
Advertise with NaturalNews...

Support NaturalNews Sponsors:
Advertise with NaturalNews...

Most Popular Stories

U.S. dairy industry petitions FDA to approve aspartame as hidden, unlabeled additive in milk, yogurt, eggnog and cream
EXPOSED: Angelina Jolie part of a clever corporate scheme to protect billions in BRCA gene patents, influence Supreme Court decision (opinion)
Prominent rifle manufacturer killed in mysterious car crash days after posting psych drug link to school shooters
How Angelina Jolie was duped by cancer doctors into self mutilation for breast cancer she never had
Angelina Jolie inspires women to maim themselves by celebrating medically perverted double mastectomies
Facebook bans Gandhi quote as part of revisionist history purge
McDonald's closing all restaurants in Bolivia as nation rejects fast food
BREAKING: European Commission to criminalize nearly all seeds and plants not registered with government
Obama betrays America yet again by signing the 'Monsanto Protection Act' into law
It's on! Farmers begin suing Monsanto over genetic pollution of wheat crops
GMO feed turns pig stomachs to mush! Shocking photos reveal severe damage caused by GM soy and corn
Monsanto hires infamous mercenary firm Blackwater to track activists around the world

25 Amazing Facts About Food

This FREE downloadable report unveils a collection of astonishing and little-known facts about the food we eat very day. Click here to read it now...

 

Resveratrol and its Effects on Human Health and Longevity - Myth or Miracle.

Unlock the secrets of cellular health with the "miracle" nutrient Resveratrol Click here to read it now...

 

Nutrition Can Save America

FREE online report shows how we can save America through a nutrition health care revolution. "Eating healthy is patriotic!" Click here to read it now...

The Healing Power of Sunlight and Vitamin D

In this exclusive interview, Dr. Michael Holick reveals fascinating facts on how vitamin D is created and used in the human body to ward off chronic diseases like cancer, osteoporosis, mental disorders and more. Click here to read it now...

Vaccines: Get the Full Story

The International Medical Council on Vaccination has released, exclusively through NaturalNews.com, a groundbreaking document containing the signatures of physicians, brain surgeons and professors, all of which have signed on to a document stating that vaccines pose a significant risk of harm to the health of children. Click here to read it now...

Health Ranger Storable Organics

GMO-free, chemical-free foods and superfoods for long-term storage and preparedness. See selection at www.StorableOrganics.com



Recommended Resources On:

Natural News trends
Health Ranger news
Natural News GMOs
Mike Adams tracker
Natural News photos
Natural News Global
Natural News in focus
Natural News connect
Natural News shocking stories
Natural News radar
GMOs
Quackwatch
Vaccines
Health freedom
Dr. Paul Offit

This site is part of the Natural News Network © 2013 All Rights Reserved. Privacy | Terms All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing International, LTD. is not responsible for content written by contributing authors. The information on this site is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional advice of any kind. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. Your use of this website indicates your agreement to these terms and those published here. All trademarks, registered trademarks and servicemarks mentioned on this site are the property of their respective owners.