The Troubling Rise Of Antibiotic-resistant Superbugs, With Christopher Murray
Big Brains
English - April 14, 2022 12:00 - 23 minutes - 21.6 MB - ★★★★★ - 358 ratingsSociety & Culture Education discovery ideas bigbrains research science storytelling universityofchicago education paul rand academic podcast Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Previous Episode: Is Scientific Progress Slowing? with James Evans
For nearly a decade, public health experts have been warning that bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics. In 2014, the World Health Organization even said the post-antibiotic era is near. Despite these warnings, the problem has only worsened: Antibiotic-resistant superbugs like MRSA are rising—and faster than expected.
University of Washington Professor Christopher Murray co-authored a 2019 study in The Lancet, which found that antibiotic-resistant infections directly killed over a million people worldwide. The study also found that superbugs might have played a role in five million more deaths worldwide. Murray explains what's causing this troubling trend—and how we can combat it.