Let's see... year after year, publicly funded basic research (which led to the first antibiotics) has had it's funding cut repeatedly. Then, Big Pharma has no interest in curing your illness - where's the revenue in that! - instead, they just want to treat your symptoms and keep you limping along and paying them for their treatments.

We did it to ourselves.

The over-prescription of antibiotics is quickly sending the chickens home to roost. For decades, doctors have given out antibiotics like candy to appease patients for various ailments whereby they are ineffective. As a result, they are becoming ineffective for the very conditions which they were intended to treat.

Exchanging long term security for short term emotional gratification is a losing proposition that results in an untenable situation down the road. Funny, the U.S. government is finally learning all about that too.

Every cut, every time.

Or not?

the epidemic of mrsa or "flesh eating bacteria"" actually has little to do with doctors handing out lots of prescrition or with the overuse of antibiotic creams. 3 lbs. of antibiotics are given to animals for every pound given to humans. the antibiotics are given in low levels to animals, thereby creating resistance, which is then transferred to humans. a great source of info for laypeople is the article "farmacology" on the john hopkins university magazine site on the web.

the epidemic of mrsa or "flesh eating bacteria"" actually has little to do with doctors handing out lots of prescrition or with the overuse of antibiotic creams. 3 lbs. of antibiotics are given to animals for every pound given to humans. the antibiotics are given in low levels to animals, thereby creating resistance, which is then transferred to humans. a great source of info for laypeople is the article "farmacology" on the john hopkins university magazine site on the web.

mrsa and other drug resistant strains of bacteria have very little to do with doctors overprescribing antibiotics or with the use of antibiotic creams. three pounds of antibiotics are given to animals for every pound given to humans. the antibiotics are given in low levels the entire life of the animal until they're slaughtered. this practice creates resistance, which is transferred to humans eventually. one of the many sources of information on this subject for lay people is the article, "farmacology", on the john hopkins university magazine web site. the average person has no idea how true it is when dr. henry blumberg is quoted as saying, "i don't think people are aware of how bad the situation is with multi-drug resistant organisms."

People love to blame one thing or the other (farms, hospitals, doctors, etc.), but let's be honest: the only thing you really directly control is what is used in our home. And household product companies have been very successful at exploiting paranoia about "germs" to sell their antibiotic products. Even while numerous studies show that these products promote the growth of superbugs, and may even play a role as endocrine disrupters in humans and other animals, still these products are on the market. It's dispicable.

To disinfect in the home, use cleaners that are green/alcohol-based/bleach-based/OR ammonia-based. These cleaners kill "germs" just fine, without resorting to those nasty endocrine disrupters. Use cleaners sparingly, and in the places you most need them, like in the kitchen.

Learn what a serious infection looks/feels like. Go to the doctor only when showing those signs, and if you are prescribed antibiotics, take the WHOLE regimin, don't save any for a "rainy day." Refuse a prescription if you don't think you need it (some doctors will prescribe just to get "helicopter moms" out of their offices).

Most of all, remember that a huge percentage of all the "germs" out there won't hurt you.

I know its not a "cure-all" but I was taught during the previous century to use hot water and boric acid, or epsom salts or just plain salt soaks on infected wounds/sores.  I believe the heat in the application is the most important for killing the bacteria, and the salt must also have some effect, drying the wound out.

We have come a long way, but take too much for granted.  Not sure how heat would do with MRSA, but this treatment should be attempted before running off to the hospital...to possibly pick up an even worse infection.

Nothing like good old soap to wash out a new wound....Save the antibiotics for later...and try to avoid having "antibiotic this" and "antibiotic that" hanging around the house.....as they say...Familiarity breeds contempt...in many different ways.

We didn't cut our own throats by popularizing antibiotics as cure alls and cutting spending. Short sighted scientists and greedy politicians caused this.

This bacteria could have a field day at Walmart. Have you seen the size of some of those people riding around in those battery carts? Talk about a buffet. Some appear to be growing scooters out their butts.

The title of this article is completely misleading. MRSA is not the same thing as what is known as "flesh eating bacteria". Very poorly researched.

just rub some dirt on it

The good old 5 second rule sounds wiser already.

antibiotics are useless. They're only used when there's no other way of killing them like necrotizing fasciitis. However normal bacteria makes your immune system stronger each time you fall sick, the next time you recover, the less chances of getting ill because the immune system is better prepared. I studied on memory cells and helper T cells, we can't pamper our immune system too much, its okay to fall sick once in a while.