John Turnidge, chief of laboratory medicine at Women's and Children's Hospital in North Adelaide, Australia, called the study "fascinating," noting that he has long suspected that the overuse of antibiotics was not the only cause of bacterial resistance. This shows, he says, that certain drugs such as chloroquine (which works by targeting the parasites inside red blood cells) may drive resistance to other classes of drugs such as the antibiotic ciprofloxacin.

Traditionally, scientists have targeted viruses, bacteria and parasites in different ways and assumed that the treatments had little to do with one another. But this finding indicates that one may play off the other when it comes to encouraging resistance in human pathogens.

Christopher Plowe, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Maryland Medical Center, says more study is needed to determine whether health officials should reconsider the widespread use of chloroquine to battle malaria. Researchers plan to test the effect of antimalarials other than chloroquine to  determine if they can do as effective a job without also hobbling the power of ciprofloxacin.

Silverman stressed that the study highlights the need to continue to try to prevent malaria through the use of insecticide-treated bed nets, along with the development of an effective vaccine.

6 Comments

1. 1. awsome.in.training 10:05 AM 7/22/08

   I really enjoy reading the magazine.

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2. 2. awsome.in.training 10:06 AM 7/22/08

   This is scary because it tell us that we might not be able to cure anything without something else going wrong

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3. 3. bfreewithrp 09:37 PM 7/22/08

   Ever since Louis Pasteur, whenever we got an earache as a child, strep throat, or other infection, we were usually given an antibiotic to make us better. As an adult, we learn that given all the benefits of this cure-all, there are some negative aspects of using antibiotics. Even now, as I have always been taught that Omega oils lubricate our inner mechanics, probiotics protect them from the deadly invaders.
   http://www.healthmad.com/Medicine/Antibiotics-are-They-Cures-or-Silent-Killers.25888
   Antibiotics: are They Cures or Silent Killers?
   

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4. 4. bfreewithrp in reply to bfreewithrp 09:40 PM 7/22/08

   Ever since Louis Pasteur, whenever we got an earache as a child, strep throat, or other infection, we were usually given an antibiotic to make us better. As an adult, we learn that given all the benefits of this cure-all, there are some negative aspects of using antibiotics. Even now, as I have always been taught that Omega oils lubricate our inner mechanics, probiotics protect them from the deadly invaders.
   
   Antibiotics: are They Cures or Silent Killers?
   

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5. 5. blackcap in reply to awsome.in.training 06:32 PM 4/30/09

   See what happens to your body when you introduce Pharmaceuticals? Our body has the natural ability to heal itself. Unfortunately all the processed food and drink and chemicals we consume and ingest affects our bodies ability to heal. There are natural alternatives, but the powers that be won't allow for that. There's no profit in cures. Because they can't patent nature.

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6. 6. Billy S 05:23 PM 5/28/10

   We need to admit that have to be better advocates of our own health. I was written a script by my doctor, explained what it would do (hearing: Yadda-yadda, antibiotic) and left the office. I dropped it off @ the pharmacy, returned to pick it up, got home & opened the container. Only then did I go: "Hmm. what HONKIN' pills and I only need 5?". Okay, I debated whether to take the first one, read the instructions, saw my name on the bottle but decided to call the pharmacy & confirmed these were for me. I'd been WRITTEN a script for (I think...it was a while ago) Cipro and was delivered a bottle of (again, I believe): Chloroquine. The pharmacist asked: 'Are you going to be visiting any jungles or where malaria could be present?".. Um, NO. She highly advised I return the script right away...she was practically willing to get in her own car & come & get them. I let her know I'd be back on her side of town tomorrow... All this is to say: a lot of these situations aren't being reported. Though it is not our fault, it's still a case (as with any other commodity) of 'buyer beware'.
   

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