Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight. I'm Robin Basselin.
Voice 2
And I'm Ryan Geertsma. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
Carlos Don was a healthy and happy boy. He loved playing sports and having fun. When Carlos was 12 years old, he went to an educational children's camp for four days. At the camp, he had fun playing and enjoying nature with his friends. But when he returned home from the camp, Carlos was very sick.
Voice 2
After a day at home, Carlos' parents took him to the hospital. The doctors thought Carlos had a common case of pneumonia. They gave him antibiotic drugs and sent him home to rest. But Carlos did not get better. So, his parents took him back to the hospital. The doctors discovered he had a disease called MRSA. Carlos' family had never heard of this disease. But they learned that MRSA is a serious bacteria infection - an infection that resists antibiotics. After two weeks of being sick, Carlos died.
Voice 1
Today is World Health Day. And the World Health Organization wants to educate people about sicknesses like MRSA. Today's Spotlight is on the growing problem of antimicrobial or drug resistant diseases.
Voice 2
Carlos is one of many people around the world who have suffered and even died from drug resistant infectious diseases. Often, people get sick from small microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, or fungi. Doctors can usually treat these sicknesses with antibiotic, antiviral or antifungal drugs. The medicines either slow down or completely stop bad organisms from growing.
Voice 1
For many years, drugs like antibiotics were the best way to treat some of the world's most dangerous sicknesses - like Tuberculosis and Pneumonia. Antibiotics were first used in the 1940s. And they seemed like a miracle medicine. Today, doctors also treat and manage diseases like Malaria and HIV with other anti-microbial drugs. The power of these drugs can be amazing.
Voice 2
However, micro-organisms can sometimes change. And these changes can make the organisms resist anti-microbial drugs. This is what happened to the MRSA bacteria. And this is why antibiotic drugs could not heal Carlos.
Voice 1
Once bacteria are resistant to drugs, they are more likely to kill people. And because there are no drugs to slow down the organisms, they can spread to even more people. Experts fear the spread of these diseases all over the world.
Voice 2
When scientists and doctors first started using antibiotics, they knew that bacteria could become drug resistant. They warned doctors to use antibiotics carefully. And for many years, drug resistance was not a major problem. However, there are many reasons why antibiotics, in particular, are recently becoming less effective.
Voice 1
One major reason is the overuse of antibiotics. What many people do not know is that antibiotics only heal bacteria infections. They do not help viruses like the common cold or influenza. But sometimes doctors give their patients antibiotics without knowing the cause of their sickness. Some patients will also pressure their doctors to give them antibiotics. This overuse of antibiotics can create conditions where antibiotic resistant bacteria can grow and develop.
Voice 2
However, overuse of antibiotics in humans is only part of the problem. Animals that are too often treated with antibiotics can also help create drug resistant bacteria. When people eat those animals, the resistant bacteria can pass into their bodies. Because of this, the European Union banned the use of antibiotics in animals. This ban will help stop the spread of drug resistant bacteria to people.
Voice 1
Another major reason for the increase in drug resistance is wrong use of antibiotics. Many patients DO need antibiotics and it is good for these people to use them. However, many times, they will stop taking the antibiotics when they begin to feel better. However, stopping too soon means there are not enough drugs in their body to kill off all the bacteria. Some bacteria will stay in their bodies and grow stronger. And this will make antibiotics less effective in the future.
Voice 2
But the doctors and patients are not the only problem. Many companies who produce drugs have not tried to make new antibiotics for many years. This is because antibiotics are not drugs that people use for a long time. Antibiotics are only used for a particular number of days. So, the companies do not make a lot of money selling antibiotics. Drug companies want to spend money on developing drugs that people will use for a very long time.
Voice 1
Carlos Don did not die because HE overused antibiotics or because he did not use his antibiotics the right way. He died because he became sick with influenza at camp. The influenza left cuts in Carlos' lungs. And then, when his body was sick, he was infected with the MRSA bacteria. The MRSA caused the pneumonia. And because MRSA is drug resistant, the antibiotics were not able to stop the spread of the bacteria.
Voice 2
But Carlos' story does show why drug resistance is so dangerous. And groups like the World Health Organization believe that people all over the world can fight back.
Voice 1
Organizations and governments can do a lot to fight drug resistance. They can continue teaching their healthcare workers about the risks of drug resistance and how to prevent its spread. They can also encourage drug companies to research new drugs to heal drug resistant sicknesses.
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However, everyone must work together to stop the spread of drug resistant bacteria. Here are some things YOU can do to help fight antibiotic resistance:
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Ask your doctor if an antibiotic is the right treatment for your illness. Do not take antibiotics for a disease that is not from bacteria. And do not pressure doctors to give you medicine if you do not need it.
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Take your antibiotics exactly how you are told to. Even if you start to feel better, do not stop taking them. Do not save some of your antibiotic for later use. If you have any extra medicine left, throw it away.
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Do not use antibiotics that were given to another person. These antibiotics may not be the right medicine for your sickness.
Voice 1
Together people all over the world can fight against drug resistance. Our small acts can help slow the development and spread of drug resistant diseases. And hopefully, we can save the lives of other children like Carlos Don. As the World Health Organization says: "If we do not act today, there will be no cure tomorrow."
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