Missing your hypochondria from when Ebola was in the news? Drug resistant plague is here!

[Recursion]

Yes, that plague.

http://news.discovery.com/human/health/bubonic-plague-spreads-in-madagascar-141125.htm

Nice knowing you, guys.

[Warpy]

1. Antibiotics in the third world are OTC

and expensive enough that people stop taking them as soon as they feel better. That means only the resistant bugs are left in their bodies and those are the bugs they spread.

I'm living in the plague hot zone, the southern Rockies.

Well, at least the plague is fast.

[Recursion]

2. Are they? Not here.

I mean, this is Mumbai and not some village in Rajasthan, but the Indian government at least is pretty big on controlling medications. (Then again this may be part of India's bid to leave the "third world" ).

Now that I think of it, in Tanzania it was pretty much "walk to a chemist and get any antibiotic you ask for."

[Warpy]

3. India is trying, at least.

Unfortunately, there's a booming market of counterfeit drugs there, the most dangerous of which contain a smaller dose of what they're supposed to be and that's also a fast route to resistant bugs.

Counterfeit drugs from under a counter or the back of a stall are the problem there.

Most resistant bugs are being created mostly by poverty, only secondarily by ignorance.

[merrily]

4. Now that you mention it, I don't recall much of the annual flu shot hysteria so far. Too soon?

[Recursion]

5. They've pretty much already announced it won't work this year

Because the strain has changed to quickly.

I'm a little closer to the epicenter than you guys, so let me assure you this year's flu is fucking awful, having had it a few weeks ago.

[merrily]

6. Now that you mention it, I do recall hearing that. So, since no money is to be made

from flu shots this year, no one is giving any education at all this year about avoiding the flu by means other than the vaccine. We're on to some other scares instead.

Thank heaven for Big PHRMA, always researching this stuff, huh? I'll never complain about their obscene profits again because I want to make sure they keep researching for the benefit of sick people. Who needs the same more reasonable prices they charge outside the US or drug reimportation? Please, please, big PHRMA, keep making us Amurickins pay through the nose. Just keep researching.

Speaking of which, I heard research showed that the just the friction of handwashing kills a lot of invisible critters that make you sick. So, always rub your hands together while washing your hands and, in a pinch, if stuck somewhere without soap and water. I also make sure I create a lot of friction when washing fruit, just on the off chance it works in contexts other than handwashing.

[Recursion]

10. Plenty of the world washes their hands with sand. I actually did that for a while; no complaints

The friction and heat from sand are more than enough to basically kill all pathogens, as long as you're thorough.

[merrily]

11. Sand is not always handy, but that is a good additional tip. Thanks. nt

[Recursion]

12. It helped that I was in the Mojave at the time (nt)

[merrily]

14. You get around. Then again, there's also lots of sand around the pyramids of Gizeh. nt

[msanthrope]

17. You were a Marine, weren't you? nt

[pansypoo53219]

7. meanwhile, 50,000 indai indian babies have died of drug resistant bacteria infections. WHEEEEEE

[belzabubba333]

8. where's the hysterics on tv

[Recursion]

9. Oh, just wait until a white person gets it (nt)

[Horse with no Name]

16. A white American, at that. n/t

[LeftyMom]

13. Did anybody else think it was odd that DU's ebola panic people and anti-vaxxers

were the same people?

It's almost like they're really unclear on basic science concepts or something.

[Logical]

15. +1000! nt

[msanthrope]

18. No. I did not think that odd. Not at all. nt