Scary STD problem.

[AlecWest]

AIDS has to be the number one STD of concern in the world. But soon, another older STD may join its ranks. Currently, there is only one antibiotic left guaranteed to cure ALL cases of gonorrhoea. So far, many cases can be treated by other antibiotics ... but drug-resistant strains are emerging. Last year in San Francisco, almost one-fourth of all reported cases of gonorrhoea were drug-resistant ... except for that one remaining antibiotic. And what happens when it stops working???

Anyhoo, here's the scary news guaranteed to be on page 17 of your local paper:

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21554081-2703,00.html

Important stuff like the Don Imus scandal will be on page 1.

[MrMoody]

It's not just STDs, but many disease-causing bacteria & microorganisms.

http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/anti_resist.html

I think we're headed for The Stand due to overpopulation and overreliance on antibiotics, and this will wipe out large quantities of people before global warming does.

[AlecWest]

It's not just STDs, but many disease-causing bacteria & microorganisms.

http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/anti_resist.html

I think we're headed for The Stand due to overpopulation and overreliance on antibiotics, and this will wipe out large quantities of people before global warming does.

I've read that soon, the most powerful weapons we'll have against bacterial infections are our own naturally occurring antibodies. And though only the rich could afford it, some have suggested that blood be withdrawn, exposed to a bacteria, after which naturally occurring antibodies are segregated, collected, and "frozen" for future re-injection into the body.

I've also read that researchers (underfunded, so far) are working on synthetic antibiotics targeted toward the most anticipated infections. These researchers say that bacterium, while becoming resistant, have one weakness - short "memories." In short, we could develop synthetic antibiotics to make due over the next decade or so ... then find that, all of a sudden, the older antibiotics would start working again. Then, when they stop working, we could switch back to the synthetics. Of course, this is all conjecture.