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Threat of deadly antibiotic-resistant diseases

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    Could superbugs create 'apocalyptic scenario'?

  • Duration 3:26
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-- or expert who says antibiotic resistant super bugs could lead to -- and apocalyptic scenario his words.

Doctors have been saying for years that overuse of antibiotics creates drug resistant diseases.

But great Britain's chief medical officer now warns that the rise of such diseases could be as catastrophic as a massive terrorist attack.

A flu pandemic.

Or a natural disaster.

This woman tells Britain's guardian newspaper there are few public health issues potentially great a potentially greater importance for society.

That antibiotic resistance.

Researchers have been coming up with new antibiotics is the -- one stop working but there's concern that the pipeline is running dry.

-- -- now doctor frank asked -- from university hospitals of Cleveland case western.

Or is this overblown.

-- or is -- -- point.

Well no no she's actually really on point.

These germs have been around with us for quite some time and we've been using the antibiotics now for -- decades.

Every time and for -- for -- each year after year we've been using these antibiotics the germs are becoming more and more tolerant or even outright resistant to them.

So the new generations of bacteria required new generations of antibiotics and we're getting to a point where we don't -- longer have those new generations of antibiotics.

To combat the bacteria were worried about government.

Drones and al-Qaeda and we ought to be worried about bacteria.

Well you know it's it's not that these bacteria are becoming more virulent they're not becoming more aggressive.

But it's really a fight it's a fight between the patient and the infection and it's a fight that can only have one winner either you win or the germ wins.

The antibiotic tips the scales.

In the balance into the favor of the patient.

And in some cases some of these patients.

-- really sailing the guy who just fell through the garage over there OK he's probably gonna need some antibiotics.

If he has a lot trauma if he has a lot of germs they came through that whole event.

They need these antibiotics so that we can help them get through the infection what are we supposed to do.

Well the best thing that we -- do right now there's a couple of things one is too.

Assist.

Drug companies in coming up with.

These new drugs and new antibiotics.

The large pharmaceutical industry is actually kind of pulled back there are no longer interested as much in trying to find a new antibiotic.

So it's all these small little start -- Biotech companies are trying to make these new antibiotics.

They don't have the ability they don't have the finances to make a lot of the study so they need we need to bring down the regulation a little bit.

We need to also encourage new companies into.

Risking some of their capital in order to develop these new antibiotics.

And then we need to give them the leeway in order to make a profit after they make those antibiotics that the health official over in Great Britain is issuing this warning says in forty years it's gonna be dangerous to go to the hospital you think.

I don't biggest mistake can be dangerous to go the hospital infections happen anywhere and -- -- resistant germs outside the hospital as much as they are inside the hospital.

The reason the hospital get.

A lot more or a lot of resistant organisms because obviously this is where we use a lot of -- by Alex.

Also this is where we see the sickest of the sick days of the people where we see the cancer patients.

Andy transplant patients for the people who are on steroids who don't have much of an immunity and they really are dependent on the antibiotics.

To help them get through any infection that they may get.

Doctor -- for nice to see you thanks so much.

As they're going to be here Shepperd thank you.