SvenskaSince I work at a pharmacy I am daily exposed to viruses and bacteria. Last autumn it seemed like the viruses were a little more aggressiv than usual. In addition, and unfortunately, there was not much vaccin available against the yearly flu. I don’t take this vaccin, but it is good that it is available since some people may be very sensitive to viruses if they have eg a heart- or lung disease.
I remember the H1N1 Flu Virus (Swine Flu) when I was in Norway 2009. That was an extraordinary situation. But also, I was very impressed. A decision was taken by the health authorities that the pharmacies could give patients Tamiflu (antiviral tablets) if certain criteria were fulfilled. It should be noted that a virus cannot be treated by antibiotics. After those intense weeks of work I am extremely careful with washing my hands. I try to remember not have my hands in my face to avoid contamination of viruses. I remember that it was a lot of talk weather it should be classified as a pandemic or not.
However, this winter I have been unlucky. I have had viruses. A virus infection can make the body more prone to be infected by bacteria. That happened to me recently. I really try to avoid to not have antibiotics since antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health. But this week I have been on antibiotics. I don’t like it, but I did not have much of a choice. According to me, the discovery of antibiotics is one of the greatest in medical history. In 1928 penicillin, the first true antibiotic, was discovered by Sir Alexander Fleming, Professor of Bacteriology at St. Mary’s Hospital in London.
Currently, antibiotic resistance is often discussed. Sometimes also with regard to biological terrorism, especially delivered as aerosols. Historically, chemical weapons have been used within warfare. In 1710, the Russian army, fighting Swedish forces barricaded in Reval (now Tallin, Estonia) threw plague-infested corpses over the city’s walls. However, today approximately 180 countries throughout the world have signed a Biological Weapon Convention (BWC).
Today, more focus is on the antibiotic resistance. Luckily! And it is right, because it is important, since antibiotic resistance is putting the achievements of modern medicine at risk. Unfortunately, the agriculture sector is contributing to antibiotic resistance. By coincidence, I saw the headline above in Uppsala Nya Tidning “Healthy animals should not be given medicine”. A lot of healthy animals are given antibiotics to have them grow better in food industry. This can be discussed a lot, and if you would like to read more I recommend the World Health Organization and their recommendations.
