My topic is in title: Infectious disease are returning.

Eduardo Linares Ruiz ISE

III

Nowadays, the highest health risks for mankind are related to the heart, however, it is changing
thanks to the new discoveries in this sector. Sadly, there are other problems that science has
to face. One of this problems is the rise of infectious diseases which is predicted by many
specialists such as pharmacists or doctors.

As I see it, the increase of infectious diseases is a serious problem.

Firstly, bacteria are becoming stronger every day, because since Fleming discovered penicillin,
mankind has misused antibiotics in diferents ways. For example, a lot of people do not finish
their treatment correctly, they stop when they feel better, and this is a mistake. They have to
finish the treatment as the doctor precribed .All this misuse leads to a rise in antibiotic
resistance as World Health Organization said. It means that in the future, we will have
infectious diseases which will survive in spite of modern drugs. Even now, we have many
problems with multi-resistant bacterium.

Secondly, new antibiotics are not invented fast enough. This is harder than years ago. Two
reasons for this is the rise of resistance and the lack of investment in this field. Governments
and bussinesses are not as interested as in the past. It is not easy or cheap to créate a new
drug. This process is complex and is not as profitable as it should be. As we can see in the
Infectious Diseases Society of America’s graph, currently, less than 5 procucts are approved
per lustrum.

Lastly, we have other tools to fight against bacteria, vaccines, created to prevent illnesses.
Thanks to them a lot of diseases disappeared or became endangered strains. Nevertheless, the
antivaccine movement has appeared, because of that, some endangered strains, even some
which we thought were extinct, are returning. According to Dr. Gregory Poland and Dr. Robert
Jacobson those people do not know how dangerous they are for themselves and for others
who do not have the same beliefs, especially for children.

There are other points of view, some people say that scientists will discover something in the
future. What is more, most people are not concerned by this problem.

To sum up, if we continue like this, in a century or less most deaths will be caused from
infectious diseases. This problem will outweigh othes problems such as pollution or cancer. We
can not forget that bacteria could be our best friends or our worst enemy.

That conclude my topic, Do you have any question?

 INFECTIOUS DISEASES ARE RETURNING

In my opinion, the rise of infectious diseases is a serious problem.

First Argument: Bacteria are stronger now than before. There is an increase in
antibiotic resistance.
Evidence: World health organization, World health statistics 2010.

Second Argument: There are not enough new antibiotics. It is not as easy as in the past
to create a new drug.
Evidence: Spellberg B, Guidos R, Gilbert D, Bradley J, Boucher HW, Scheld WM, et al,
The Epidemic of Antibiotic-Resistant Infections: A Call to Action for the Medical
Community from the Infectious Diseases Society of America, Clin Infect Dis, 2013 /
01/15.

Antibiotics approved for sale in US

18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
1983-1987 1988-1992 1993-1997 1998-2002 2003-2007 2008-2012
years

Antibi otics approved for s al e i n US

Third Argument: The antivaccine movement poses a serious danger to society. They do
not know the effect of their beliefs.
Evidence: Poland GA, Jacobson RM, Understanding those who do not understand: a
brief review of the anti-vaccine movement. Vaccine, 2001 March 21.