You know how doctors sometimes give moms-to-be antibiotics? Well, recent studies hint that these medicines might mess up the baby's gut bacteria. That's a big deal because those tiny bugs play a huge role in keeping us healthy. When moms take antibiotics, they can pass on the wrong kinds of bacteria to their babies. This could lead to various health issues later in l...
Imagine you're looking at tiny pieces of plastic like polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE), and polystyrene (PS). These are called microplastics. Scientists wanted to know how well these microplastics could pick up a certain type of antibiotic called tetracycline (TC). They did some cool experiments using microscopes and other tools. Turns out, these micropla...
Shigella infections are becoming harder to treat, especially in places like Bangladesh where people often prescribe their own antibiotics. Scientists have discovered that many Shigella germs are now resistant to multiple drugs, and some can even fight off several types of medicines at once. How do these bacteria become so tough? The answer lies in tiny DNA bits calle...
You wouldn't think that taking antibiotics as a kid could lead to liver cancer later in life, right? Well, it turns out those little pills can mess up the tiny friends living in your tummy, called gut microbes, and that could set the stage for a serious liver disease called MASLD-HCC. This disease is becoming more common around the world, and scientists are trying to...
Have you ever thought about how scary it would be if the medicines we use to fight infections stopped working? Well, that's happening right now in South Africa! Certain germs, especially the tough ones called Gram-negative bacteria, are getting smarter and harder to kill. This isn’t just a problem in hospitals or clinics, but everywhere. The reasons behind this are q...
In the medical world, there are instances where doctors and medical professionals have gotten it wrong, leading to unintended and often devastating consequences. These blind spots are often rooted in dogmatic thinking, groupthink, and a lack of critical evaluation of the evidence. In his book "Blind Spots: When Medicine Gets It Wrong, and What It Means for Our Health...
The world is on the brink of a catastrophic crisis. According to a new study, nearly 40 million people could die from antibiotic-resistant superbug infections by 2050. The staggering number is a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). But what exactly is AMR, and why should we be so concerned? AMR occurs when pathogens, like...