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After decades of excessive use of antibiotics, researchers are open to exploring new options. For which promising antibiotics did the experts roll up their sleeves? The sticky mucus that surrounds the fish.
According to Tech Times, mucus protects the fish from harmful pathogens in its environment.
Molly Austin, a student in slime research, told the media that fish live in a "complex environment".
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Their bodies must protect them from bacteria and viruses with which they are in constant contact every day.
Until now, study experts have targeted young fish caught in southern California because of their poor immunity, HealthDay reported. The idea is that these fish must have stronger natural walls against pathogens to stay healthy.
The researchers said they identified nearly four dozen bacteria in the mucus of 17 fish species.
The results were presented at the 2019 spring meeting of the American Chemical Society in Florida. However, keep in mind that research is considered preliminary until it is published in a peer-reviewed journal.
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Researchers see this field as a prime candidate for discovering new natural antibacterial sources.
These bacteria have the potential to fight serious diseases and infections, such as MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), E. coli and colon cancer.
MRSA is a type of staph that lives on the skin and is normally harmless. However, these antibiotic-resistant bacteria can infect the body through cuts and open wounds.
Close contacts and sharing of equipment increase the risks, for example in the hospital, school or sports environment. The CDC estimates that 5% of hospitalized patients have MRSA on their skin.
Nevertheless, the research is just beginning and could take years to develop a new antibiotic. The authors need additional studies on bacteria and individual chemicals that contribute to the antibacterial capabilities of fish, according to the Tech Times.
Until then, antibiotic resistance remains a problem.
According to the CDC, 2 million Americans are infected each year with an antibiotic – resistant bacterium. About 23,000 people die, and experts believe that the growing number of resistant bacteria is one of the most urgent public health problems in the world.
Modern medicine relies on the ability to control bacteria. Advances would be stifled or stopped if an antibiotic-resistant epidemic were to ensue.
According to the CDC calendar, few antibiotics have been developed since the 1990s. Yet scientists have identified more resistant bacteria during this period.
Promising options like this one as well as other developing studies are giving hope for the fight against dangerous pathogens.
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To fight against antibiotic resistance in the meantime, the CDC recommends that patients never accept antibiotics for colds or flu, caused by viruses. You can also ask a doctor for alternative methods of healing or treating bacterial infections.
When antibiotics are needed, take all of the prescribed amount without skipping doses to avoid creating more resistant bacteria. Together, new research and more defined parameters for antibiotics could dispel any potential damage.
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