And, he said, the findings also show the need to use current antibiotics morecarefully. Some doctors are campaigning to reduce the use of the drugs inpatients who would recover without them. Some doctors oppose the widespread practice of treating healthy livestock, the animals we raise forfood, with antibiotics to prevent illness.
There is an existing amount of antibiotic-resistant genes that are waiting to be switched on, Mr. Dant as said. When you use antibiotics -- whether in agriculture with livestock or in a clinic with patients -- you increase the amount of antibiotic-resistant genes.
Scientists are not the only ones concerned about resistance to antibiotics. Government leaders are also worried. In March, U.S. President BarackObama announced a new five-year plan to fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria. He called the issue one of the most serious modern-day public health threats. Before meeting with science advisors, President Obama told reporters at the White House that many people take antibiotics for granted. To take something for granted means to not fully see the value of something because it has been around for so long and is so common.
Here is Mr. Obama:
“We take antibiotics for granted … and we’re extraordinarily fortunate to have been living in a period when our antibiotics work. If we start seeing thosemedicines diminish in effectiveness, we’re going to have big problems. And part of the solution here is not just finding replacements for traditional antibiotics -- it’s also making sure that we’re using antibiotics properly.”
Diverse germs may help you fight disease
A group of Yanomami Indians sit in their village called Irotatheri in Venezuela's Amazon region, Friday, Sept. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
Researchers studying the Yanomami people foundsomething else. After studying the population ofmicrobes living in and on the Yanomami's bodies, theresearchers said they found more diversity than in anyother people they have ever studied. This diversity ismore than other Amazonian farmers and much morethan Americans.
The lead author of the study is Jose Clemente at theIcahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York.Mr. Clemente said that when traditional societieschange to a Western lifestyle they lose this richbacterial diversity. They also lose the benefits thatcome from having so many different kinds of germsliving in and on the body.
For example, he said, the Yanomami carry bacteria thatcan prevent kidney stones. These bacteria were nearlyabsent in the other groups studied. He added that thisstudy demonstrates the need to learn about themicrobes in non-Western people before their microbialdiversity is lost. But how healthy are the Yanomami?
Another study by some of the same authors said Amazonian tribes that hadmore westernized lifestyles had higher rates of obesity than the Yanomami. On the other hand, the Yanomami had higher rates of undersized growth. TheWorld Health Organization considers undersized growth a sign of poornutrition.
New science
Microbiome science is a new field. Not much is known about this area ofscience. Even the idea that more microbial diversity is healthier is open todebate. Some scientists say that having less microbial diversity makes sensefor people living westernized lifestyles. People who live this way spend lesstime outdoors and eat cooked, cleaned.
But most scientists agree more research into microbes is needed.
I’m Mario Ritter.
And I’m Anna Matteo.
Steven Bargona reported on the Yanomami research from Washington, D.C. and Megan Duzor reported on President Obama’s plan. Anna Matteo adaptedboth stories for Learning English. Ashley Thompson and Mario Ritter editedthe adapted story.