Jordan Reinbold's reading response chapters 10 & 11 in The Antibiotic Paradox

Ch. 10 seems to open up a whole new can of worms. Not only have we learned that the misuse of antibiotics leads to resistance, but the use of household antimicrobials may also be a problem. Having taking microbiology courses I was aware of this problem, but honestly hadn't thought about pertaining to this course until this chapter. Most people overuse these common household products, and the residue left behind dangerously houses possible resistant strains of bacteria. In my microbiology class, we had a discussion about antimicrobials destroying the natural flora of our homes. Certainly, there are times when we want to eliminate the harmful bacteria around us, but if we are healthy, it may not be necessary to slobber antimicrobials all over our homes. Ch. 10 alludes to this with the discussion of the rise of allergies in industrialized nations.

Ch.11 did an excellent job with summarizing the issues we face as a global people today. The one thing that stuck out to me was the fact that "antibiotics are societal drugs" (pg 279). It was a scary thought. Someone half way around the world can choose unknowingly to abuse antibiotics, produce a dangerous strain of bacteria that travels around the globe and ends up at my doorstep. It also seemed that this chapter covers the subjects of most of our projects, which is a good sign that we are on the right track towards a useful website.