Category Archives: Antibiotics

Maybe This Blogging Thing Does Some Good After All

Posted on May 3, 2012 by

Global Communications Headquarters of the Mad Biologist (from here) From the Mad Biologist’s far-flung global network of correspondents, we receive the following: Hey, just a quick thanks – your link to the Scientific American article about putting bee honey on … Continue reading →

Posted in Antibiotics, Education, Microbiology | 1 Comment

Technobrat Pundit Follies: The Antibiotic Resistance Edition

Posted on April 13, 2012 by

I don’t know Ezra Klein of The Washington Post personally, but he strikes me as a very earnest, smart person, albeit one who is an omniscient gentleman in training (or else hopelessly credulous). So I don’t bear the man any … Continue reading →

Posted in Antibiotics, News Media | 2 Comments

FDA Considering Restricting Off-Label Use of Antibiotics

Posted on March 21, 2012 by

This is good news: The overuse of antibiotics “has reached crisis proportions,” said Dr. Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, who also attended the meeting. One solution the agency is exploring is a new … Continue reading →

Posted in Antibiotics, Public Health

Channeling My Inner Sen. Inhofe: Let’s Just Give Up on Infectious Disease Too, While We’re at It

Posted on March 13, 2012 by

I am so sick of these fucking Republicants, such as Senator James Inhofe: Well actually the Genesis 8:22 that I use in there is that “as long as the earth remains there will be springtime and harvest, cold and heat, … Continue reading →

Posted in Antibiotics, Conservatives, Fucking Morons, Get a Pair, Will Ya?, Global Warming | 4 Comments

So How Will the Ag Lobby Explain This?

Posted on February 22, 2012 by

A brand spanking new paper in mBio describes how a clone of MRSA (the bacterium methicillin rensitive Staphylococcus aureus), known as ST398, long-associated with agriculture including pigs gained its methicillin and tetracylcine resistance. Surprise! It happened in the agricultural setting. … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Antibiotics, Evolution, Microbiology, MRSA | 4 Comments

Condoms and Antibiotic Resistance

Posted on February 16, 2012 by

A couple of weeks ago, a report described the increase in gonorrhea strains that are resistant to most antibiotics. Because what we really need is an untreatable version of the clap. Madame Wev succinctly makes a key point about contraception … Continue reading →

Posted in Antibiotics, Let's Talk About Sex, Baby, Public Health | 2 Comments

Good News: FDA Will Restrict the Use of Cephalosporin Antibiotics

Posted on January 5, 2012 by

Maybe the public response had something to do with this reversal? And if you had to pick a class, I think cephalosporins are a good group: Cephalosporins are commonly used in humans to treat pneumonia as well as to treat … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Antibiotics, Public Health

Maybe Sebelius Will Overule the FDA Again (on Antibiotic Resistance)?

Posted on December 27, 2011 by

Let me get this right: Plan B–bad and the FDA should be overruled; preventing needless antibiotic use in agriculture…also bad but should not be overruled? In fairness, I don’t know if Secretary Sebelius can overrule the FDA decision to not … Continue reading →

Posted in Antibiotics, Democrats, Fucking Morons, Public Health | 3 Comments

Why We Can’t Have Nice Things: The Dallas Fed Creationist Economics Edition

Posted on December 7, 2011 by

In the antibiotic resistance field, there’s a lot of debate over whether the problem of antibiotic resistance is primarily due to misuse in medicine or in agriculture. I won’t pretend that everyone involved is an honest player–I’ve described how some … Continue reading →

Posted in Antibiotics, Conservatives, Evolution, Fucking Morons | 2 Comments

A Final Follow Up About Antibiotic Use and Chronic Disease: Poverty and Low Cost

Posted on December 6, 2011 by

Last week, I had a couple of posts about why I think antibiotic use is higher in the Obesity Belt (which could also be called the Smoking, Diabetes, and Kidney Disease Belt). I didn’t directly mention what is a significant … Continue reading →

Posted in Antibiotics, Public Health