2007年VOA标准英语-Antibiotic Resistance Fast-Growing Problem Worl

By Carol Pearson
Washington
28 February 2007
 
watch Antibiotic¹ Resistance report

 
Penicillin and Erythromycin are examples of antibiotics² that used to be one-time miracle cures. These drugs and other antibiotics are now less effective because bacteria have become more resistant³. VOA's Carol Pearson has more on this growing problem.

A Belgian study shows a link between the use of antibiotics and bacteria that mutates to resist antibiotic treatment. The study used healthy volunteers and two different antibiotics.

After just one course of treatment, the volunteers showed an increase in bacteria in their mouths resistant to the drug they had taken. In some cases, the drug resistant bacteria stayed in the volunteer's mouth for more than six months.

Other studies on antibiotics show that the misuse⁴ of these drugs is causing these drugs to be less effective.

 
Dr. Marc Lipsitch
Dr. Marc Lipsitch from the Harvard School of Public Health. "It's truly human medical use of antibiotics that is driving this."

Part of the problem lies with patients who do not complete the full course of their treatment.  This allows any bacteria still alive to mutate and become more resistant to the antibiotic taken.

Doctors who over-prescribe these drugs are also part of the problem. Another study shows that hospitals that control the use of antibiotics are more likely to control antibiotic resistance.

Doctors often prescribe antibiotics before or during surgery to prevent infection. They also prescribe a specific antibiotic after a culture shows which drug would best combat the infection.

But some doctors prescribe an antibiotic without taking a culture. 

According to this study, that is where the problem lies. Dr. Stuart Levy⁵, with Tufts University School of Medicine, says, "We are creating, without knowing it, our own kinds of weapons of mass destruction.  That is, those that can take lives because we can't treat them."

Resistant bacteria can lead to deadly illness and increased complications. The Belgian researchers say their study should be a vital warning to doctors that the misuse of antibiotics can have dire⁶ consequences for their patients and for others as well.

Video courtesy of the National Community Pharmacists Association

1 antibiotic   

adj.抗菌的；n.抗生素

参考例句：

• The doctor said that I should take some antibiotic.医生说我应该服些用抗生素。
• Antibiotic can be used against infection.抗菌素可以用来防止感染。

2 antibiotics   

n.（用作复数）抗生素；（用作单数）抗生物质的研究；抗生素，抗菌素( antibiotic的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the discovery of antibiotics in the 20th century 20世纪抗生素的发现
• The doctor gave me a prescription for antibiotics. 医生给我开了抗生素。

3 resistant   

adj.(to)抵抗的，有抵抗力的

参考例句：

• Many pests are resistant to the insecticide.许多害虫对这种杀虫剂有抵抗力。
• They imposed their government by force on the resistant population.他们以武力把自己的统治强加在持反抗态度的人民头上。

4 misuse   

n.误用，滥用；vt.误用，滥用

参考例句：

• It disturbs me profoundly that you so misuse your talents.你如此滥用自己的才能，使我深感不安。
• He was sacked for computer misuse.他因滥用计算机而被解雇了。

5 levy   

n.征收税或其他款项，征收额

参考例句：

• They levy a tax on him.他们向他征税。
• A direct food levy was imposed by the local government.地方政府征收了食品税。

6 dire   

adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的

参考例句：

• There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
• We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了，但是我们渡过了困难。