Josiah Nelson's article review

Levy, S.B. (2001). Antibiotic resistance: consequences of inaction. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 33(3), S124-S129.

Stuart B. Levy, in his article “Antibiotic Resistance: Consequences of Inaction”, stresses his concern for the increasing problem of bacteria developing antibiotic resistance. Some history of the issue and some of the factors promoting antibiotic resistance are explained. Levy then continues with examples and explanations to show that antibiotic resistance ecological phenomenon that has far reaching affects from local to global. He incorporates the negative consequences of antibiotic misuse and continued ignorance of the severity of the problem into the article through examples including the monetary and human cost of resistance. Levy shows that sociological factors are at the heart of the issue of antibiotic resistance and he concludes with a plea for active change to curb antibiotic resistance.

Levy’s article provides a good background and strong support for better understanding the issue of antibiotic resistance. The article highlights many cases that show the reader the severity and consequences of antibiotic resistance. Levy concludes with a compelling push for action to avoid past mistakes through awareness and education. The substantial supportive evidence combined with the educational focus of this article make it a great information source for English 324 projects.

The background given in the article provides a solid basis of information that covers the evolution of the factors that promote antibiotic resistance. This information shows a progression over time of the environmental conditions promoting resistance that have worsened in recent years. For example, the author explains that in the early 1990’s approximately 50,000 pounds of antibiotics were used annually for agricultural purposes, and by 2001 the Environmental Protection Agency reported that 300,000 pounds of antibiotics were being sprayed on fruit trees every year in the southern United States alone. This drastic increase in antibiotic use further promotes antibiotic resistance through increased exposure of bacteria to antibiotics. Examples like this are useful tools for educating the public on antibiotic resistance by showing that there is a capacity for the problem to become worse without action.

The author continues by showing the reader not only how antibiotic resistance is perpetuated by antibiotic misuse but he shows the negative consequences of not taking action to curb this problem. Levy states that one study estimated the cost of antibiotic resistance to be between $150 million and $30 billion each year, depending on how many people died due to antibiotic resistance. The article also discusses methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and gives an example of 4 deaths that were attributed to community acquired MRSA in North Dakota and Minnesota in the late 1990’s. Although this information is not new to science, it may be new to the average person. This makes the information valuable as an educational tool to stress the severity and dangers of antibiotic resistance.

Levy concludes by proposing increased awareness and education using the knowledge we have already gained about antibiotic resistance. I feel this fits with the purpose of our projects and provides excellent support for our purposes. The article is filled with well supported background information and attention grabbing cases of the consequences of antibiotic misuse that prove a compelling argument for taking action to curb antibiotic resistance in the future. The purpose of the article, I feel, is to educate which makes it an ideal educational tool for our use.