It seems that the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics and Policy (specifically a program known as “Extending the Cure” or ETC) has found a 30% decrease in effectiveness of antibiotics used to trate urinary tract infections, i.e., UTI. In short, more and more bacteria that cause UTIs are resistant to antibiotics. Guess where most of these drug resistant cases are occurring.
Done guessing? Okay then, here’s your answer:
Using ETC’s tool, ResistanceMap, an interactive map of antibiotic use and effectiveness in the U.S., researchers were able to track infections between 1999 and 2010 and found that the overall effectiveness of the drugs prescribed to treat UTIs declined by 30 percent.
According to a news release from ETC, the highest rates of the new drug-resistant UTIs are in the Southeast, while rates are lowest in New England and the Pacific states.
It doesn’t take analysis to note that the New England and the Pacific Northwest are solidly blue states, and as we all know, with the occasional exception of Florida, the Southeast is solidly red. Now some of you may be thinking, so what? Well, if you are a woman, particularly a sexually active woman, you fall into the category most susceptible to urinary tract infections, which just happen to be the second most common infectious disease in the United States. The primary cause of the increased incidence of drug resistance is overuse of antibiotics.
Researchers found staggering geographic variation — residents of Appalachian and Gulf Coast states, where antibiotic use rates are highest, take about twice as many antibiotics per capita as people living in Western states. […]
“While nationally, people are starting to use antibiotics more judiciously, the new findings also show the message might not be reaching everyone. People continue to consume antibiotics at much higher rates in certain parts of the country, and the problem appears to be getting worse,” said Laxminarayan. “We’re hoping public health officials and health care leaders will be able to use ResistanceMap and the Drug Resistance Index to better target their education efforts to reduce inappropriate use.”
High antibiotic use rates could reflect cultural norms in certain regions where consumers demand antibiotics – and physicians prescribe them – even when they aren’t needed. Patients in remote areas may desire antibiotics for a cold or the flu, viruses which can’t be treated with an antibiotic, because they have infrequent access to their doctor and want to make sure they get a “cure” on their visit. However, additional research must be done to better understand the driving factors behind antibiotic use.
Perhaps a little basic education on the “theory” of evolution could come in handy for those people who insist on taking antibiotics every time they get sick. Overuse of antibiotics usage does lead to mutations of bacteria caused by natural selection. However, if you don’t know much about biology, you just might as well think such medications are miracle pills, and as we have learned the hard way, ignorance about science can be dangerous to your health.
