We all love Superman. For, with supernatural powers, Superman appears as a savior for the welfare of mankind. There are such superbugs in the germ world as well. But they are not benevolent, but destructive. Not only that, scientists are speculating that this superbug is going to become the biggest enemy of man in the coming days. And with that, the weapons of war are running out very fast.

What is this superbug? Superbugs are germs against which conventional antibiotics do not work. That is, because of one of these properties, the bacterium has the ability to survive in the vast majority of antibiotics. These superbugs can be viruses, bacteria, fungi or parasitic protozoa. Any type of germ can develop resistance to this drug. As a result, it could turn into a destructive force, which we do not have the tools to destroy. But how did a common germ become a superbug? To understand that, you first need to know how antibiotics kill bacteria.

In 1926, the Scottish physician Alexander Fleming almost accidentally discovered antibiotics. He noted that when mold juice made from a fungus called Penicillium notatum was added to the culture plate of Staphylococcus bacteria, the bacteria could no longer reproduce. Not only that, this juice has been able to create a bacteria-free zone on the culture plate. He named this thing penicillin. In this way, antibiotics became the biggest human tool against germs. For this discovery, Fleming was knighted in 1944 and awarded the Nobel Prize in 1945.

In the following years, more antibiotics were discovered along the path shown by him. These antibiotics basically work in two ways. Some kill the bacteria by destroying the cell wall, while others prevent the DNA from dividing by blocking its metabolism even though it cannot kill the bacteria. As a result, the bacteria can no longer reproduce. Prior to the discovery of antibiotics, human deaths at the hands of pathogens were common. Cholera, diarrhea, plague, wounds, pneumonia, etc. would have devastated the town. One antibiotic discovery after another began to eradicate these infectious diseases. Human lifespan begins to increase. People are starting to win against the germ world.

On the other hand, the enemy is not sitting still. Germs also secretly prepare to resist. They change the structure and nature of their cells by causing mutations in their chromosomes. As a result, antibiotics lose their effectiveness. This is called antibiotic resistance. Most importantly, these germs can transfer these genes to future generations. As a result, the mutation is carried in the next generation of bacteria. They became stronger, more irresistible. Sometimes they produce enzymes that destroy the antibiotic in the body, sometimes they alter the protein binding site where the antibiotic will work, sometimes they alter their own metabolism, and sometimes they have the ability to push the antibiotic out of the body. This is how they become superbugs or powerful germs.

The widespread misuse of antibiotics in human society and on livestock farms is helping to increase the power of superbugs. One antibiotic after another is losing its effectiveness. The discovery of any new type of antibiotic has been stopped for many years. As a result, we are going back to the past, when we had no supplies to fight the germs. Medical scientists fear that a sure and miserable defeat is waiting for us in the hands of these superbugs.

Generic NameTherapeutic Class: Skin