Dead End Drugs

Interesting article in WALL STREET JOURNAL'S Science Journal today about Evolution At Work. Scientists have identified the genetic changes that occur in Staph bacteria as it develops drug resistance in a living person. This is the problem that's killing 90,000 people each year in hospitals and increasingly is becoming a problem out in the real world where infections have risen 7x from 2001 to 2005.

The bottom line is Staph bacteria can produce 35 evolutions and become completely drug resistant in as little as one week. In other words the more drugs are given, the more the organism evolves to resist and flourish in a living host. After the patient died from Staph scientists were able to study the molecular evolution of the infection from his blood samples.

We have to evolve to a different type of medicine that doesn't rely on the dead-end (literally) use of drugs. Whether it's homeopathy, some type of energy therapy or some new combination or variation, there has to be a change in perspective and attitude in medicine before the bugs win the drug war.