Superbug saga

Since 2016, the antimicrobial-resistant typhoid bacteria has crept its way into headlines, sparking the beginning of what should soon be full-blown pandemonium. This extensively drug-resistant typhoid has become insusceptible to antibiotics, prompting the United States’ Center for Disease Control and Prevention to issue a health advisory for travel to Pakistan. In 2018, Pakistan exported two people to the US who were found to carry the typhoid virus, as well as one traveller to the United Kingdom. The advisory is appropriate as our health infrastructure has brought us to a real life version of a zombie television series in which people are exposed to a drug-resistant virus and then attack others, without an end in sight.

Our health departments have visibly done a poor job of spreading awareness about the epidemic and strictly enforcing hygiene practices across public places, especially restaurants. Since typhoid and salmonella spread via unsafe food handling, eateries across the board should be cautioned against employing lackadaisical attitudes towards hygiene and concern for human well-being. Another group that has adopted rather lax outlooks is the country’s doctors. The frequent and unnecessary prescription of antibiotics has resulted in poorly efficacious antibiotics, which is largely blamed for the birth of the superbug. Repeated exposure to antibiotics provided opportunity for the virus to mutate and survive. This indicates a major concern with healthcare in Pakistan where doctors seek short-term solutions with low consideration for long-term ramifications on overall health.

Macroscopic views will need to be taken on the short-term ‘quick fix’ solutions with antibiotics that have been used to treat basic health issues, such as mild influenza. NIH awareness campaigns should be developed now to prevent further spread of the virus, which has the potential to cause a global emergency. Basic hygiene practices require access to clean water for frequent hand washing, so our infrastructure developers have a lot of work cut out for them. Whereas previously, the US had an ongoing travel advisory for Pakistan due to terrorism, this superbug poses a threat that can consume anyone in its path.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 8^th, 2018.

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