The Killers Within: The Deadly Rise of Drug-Resistant Bacteria.MICHAEL SHNAYERSON Michael Shnayerson (born 1954) is an American journalist who is a contributing editor for Vanity Fair magazine. Personal Shnayerson is married to Cynthia Stuart[1]. AND MARK J. PLOTKIN This is a wake-up call that penicillin penicillin, any of a group of chemically similar substances obtained from molds of the genus Penicillium that were the first antibiotic agents to be used successfully in the treatment of bacterial infections in humans. and its drug relatives can no longer be considered cures for infectious diseases infectious diseases: see communicable diseases. . Shnayerson and Plotkin report that because of the misuse of antibiotics, bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant to traditional drugs. Between the antibiotics that we feed livestock and the drugs needlessly prescribed to people, bacteria are becoming stronger and more deadly. The authors cover this story from all angles, examining how this crisis took hold, which bacteria are the most threatening, and what drugs researchers are working on to curb the problem. Interestingly, some future antibiotics may lie in unusual places, including the saliva of Komodo dragons Komodo dragon: see lizard; monitor. Komodo dragon Largest living lizard (Varanus komodoensis), a member of the monitor lizard family Varanidae. They live on Komodo Island and a few neighbouring islands in Indonesia. . Shnayerson and Plotkin also make a plea for people to improve hygiene protocols in hospitals and day care facilities, where bacteria thrive. Little, 2002, 328 p., hardcover, $24.95. |
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