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Growing antibiotic crisis could turn bacterial infections deadly, experts warn

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Growing antibiotic crisis could turn bacterial infections deadly, experts warn

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As “superbugs” continue to surge, the World Health Organization is now warning that one in every six bacterial infections are resistant to antibiotics.

WHO also called for antibiotic medications to be used more responsibly, according to a press release published by the agency on Monday.

Based on data from more than 100 countries between 2016 and 2023, the health agency determined that resistance to antibiotics rose in approximately 40% of infection samples.

DANGEROUS SPIKE IN SUPERBUG INFECTIONS SURGES ACROSS US AS EXPERTS SHARE CAUTIONS

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The report includes eight common bacterial pathogens: Acinetobacter spp., Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, non-typhoidal Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae.

The most dangerous type of infection, according to the report, is caused by drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria — particularly E. coli and K. pneumoniae, which can lead to sepsis, organ failure and death. 

As “superbugs” continue to surge, the World Health Organization is warning that one in six bacterial infections are resistant to antibiotics. (iStock)

Antibiotics are part of a wider group of medicines called antimicrobials, which also include antivirals, antifungals and antiparasitics.

When bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to antimicrobial medicines, that leads to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which increases the risk of severe illness, disability or death, according to WHO.

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COMMON PAINKILLERS MAY FUEL DEADLY SUPERBUGS THAT RESIST ANTIBIOTICS, STUDY WARNS

“Antimicrobial resistance is outpacing advances in modern medicine, threatening the health of families worldwide,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement accompanying the report. “We must use antibiotics responsibly, and make sure everyone has access to the right medicines, quality-assured diagnostics and vaccines.”

“Antimicrobial resistance is outpacing advances in modern medicine, threatening the health of families worldwide.”

More than one million deaths each year are directly linked to antibiotic resistance, according to a study by the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) Project.

In some cases, AMR can occur naturally as germs mutate over time — but WHO cautions that it can also stem from people’s “misuse and overuse” of antibiotics and other antimicrobials.

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WHO has called for antibiotic medications to be used more responsibly. (iStock)

Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, said that WHO’s latest report is “particularly worrisome.” 

“These are aggressive bacteria that are more and more difficult to treat,” he told Fox News Digital. “Carbapenem resistance, in particular, is very tough to treat, as is multiple drug-resistant tuberculosis.”

Carbapenems are considered “last-line antibiotics” that are used to treat serious multidrug-resistant infections, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Siegel agrees that a primary contributor is overuse of antibiotics, both for common upper respiratory infections as well as more serious hospital-borne bacteria that live on hospital equipment.

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“Antibiotics are also not very profitable for drug companies to devise, because they are only used when a person has an infection (episodic rather than daily use) — and so we mostly rely on antibiotics that have been around for decades,” he added.

Artificial intelligence could present one potential solution, according to Siegel.

Based on data from more than 100 countries between 2016 and 2023, the health agency determined that resistance to antibiotics rose in approximately 40% of infection samples. (iStock)

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“AI can invent new antibiotics more quickly and less expensively with machine learning, as well as better sanitation and more judicious use in fighting infections,” he said.

To combat the issue, WHO calls for greater surveillance of AMR and antimicrobial use through the agency’s Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS).

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“Countries must commit to strengthening laboratory systems and generating reliable surveillance data, especially from underserved areas, to inform treatments and policies,” the report stated. “WHO calls on all countries to report high-quality data on AMR and antimicrobial use to GLASS by 2030.”

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Americans wait overnight for access to free healthcare as costs soar ‘out of reach’

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Americans wait overnight for access to free healthcare as costs soar ‘out of reach’

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The Trump administration’s recent pullback on health insurance has left fewer Americans with coverage.

For the uninsured, being treated for certain conditions may be out of the question due to high costs.

This has led some Americans to wait multiple days, some even sleeping overnight in their cars, to seek free free healthcare from volunteer clinics like Remote Area Medical (RAM).

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The Tennessee-based nonprofit organization, founded in 1985, employs volunteer healthcare professionals to treat Americans without insurance at no cost.

In a recent episode of CBS News’ 60 Minutes, host Scott Pelley spoke with people waiting to be brought into the clinic.

Medical professionals from all around the U.S. volunteer their time at Remote Area Medical (RAM) clinics. (Remote Area Medical)

In February, Sandra Tallent drove 200 miles from Huntsville, Alabama, to RAM’s pop-up clinic in Knoxville, Tennessee, to have her teeth examined.

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She arrived at the clinic site at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday and spoke to Pelley from her car at 5 a.m. Friday, after sleeping for two nights in the parking lot.

Pelley asked, “If you didn’t have RAM, how would you get your teeth taken care of?” Tallent responded, “I wouldn’t.”

Some Americans have been waiting hours and even sleeping overnight in their cars to be seen by a doctor. (iStock)

Tallent was later seen by a dental expert and had dentures created in RAM’s 3D denture-printing lab.

Connor Gibson, a 22-year-old engineer, uses computer design to get the job done in just about an hour, according to the report. This is a process that can typically take weeks.

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“We see grown men cry sitting in the chair,” Gibson told 60 Minutes, describing what it’s like for patients to see themselves with a new set of teeth for the first time.

This includes Tallent, who looked in the mirror and smiled with tears in her eyes, expressing her gratitude.

Remote Area Medical clinic volunteers and patients are pictured at the center in Tennessee. RAM has recently expanded its services to include women’s health exams, general wellness check-ups and sports physicals.  (Remote Area Medical)

In an interview with Fox News Digital, RAM CEO Chris Hall shared how their clinics pop up and move across the country to expand access for more Americans.

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“All of our services are provided free of cost to patients on a first come, first serve basis,” he said. “And we do that through our team of dedicated volunteers and professionals that come from all around the county.”

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RAM provides cleanings, fillings and extractions, as well as comprehensive eye exams and access to an eyeglass lab that can manufacture eyewear and dentures, according to Hall.

About 60% of patients seek dental care, he said, and about 30% to 35% seek vision care.

RAM provides cleanings, fillings and extractions, as well as comprehensive eye exams and access to an eyeglass lab that can manufacture eyewear and dentures. (iStock)

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RAM has recently expanded its services to include women’s health exams, general wellness check-ups and sports physicals. 

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In 2008, RAM held about 10 to 12 events per year. Today, it has grown to 90 full-scale operations, with events happening nearly every weekend, Hall shared.

Hall said the demand for medical care has been consistent for the last 20 years. Even for some patients who have insurance, the out-of-pocket premiums and deductibles can be “out of reach.”

Chris Hall, CEO of Remote Area Medical, describes the operation as “inspiring, yet heartbreaking.” (Remote Area Medical)

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“The communities that we go into, the patients who are coming through our door, these are working-class people,” Hall said.

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“Whether we’re doing events in rural Appalachia or downtown Los Angeles, the patients who are coming … they’re just isolated and do not get the care that they need,” he added.

Hall said he’s heard “heartbreaking” stories from patients who have put off medical care to keep the lights on in their homes and provide food for their families.

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Marriage status has surprising link to cancer risk, study suggests: ‘Clear signal’

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Marriage status has surprising link to cancer risk, study suggests: ‘Clear signal’

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Adults who never married are significantly more likely to develop cancer, according to new research from the University of Miami.

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A large study of more than 4 million Americans across 12 states found that this increased risk spans nearly every major cancer type. It is especially true for preventable cancers, such as types caused by smoking and infection.

Men who never married were found to have a 70% higher likelihood of cancer than their married counterparts. For women, that gap was even wider, with never-married individuals facing an 85% higher risk.

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Previous research has linked marriage to better survival rates after a diagnosis, but this is one of the first studies to show that marital status could be a major indicator of whether a person will develop cancer in the first place.

“These findings suggest that social factors such as marital status may serve as important markers of cancer risk at the population level,” study co-author Paulo Pinheiro, a research professor of epidemiology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, said in a press release.

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Adults who never married are significantly more likely to develop cancer, according to new research from the University of Miami. (Getty Images)

Between 2015 and 2022, the team examined cancer cases diagnosed at age 30 or older and compared the rates of various cancers to the marital status of participants. They then broke down the data by sex and race and adjusted for age.

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Adult men who were never married had approximately five times the rate of anal cancer compared to married men, the study found.

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Adult women who were never married had nearly three times the rate of cervical cancer compared to women who were or had been married.

“It’s a clear and powerful signal that some individuals are at a greater risk,” Frank Penedo, director of the Sylvester Survivorship and Supportive Care Institute at the University of Miami, said in the release.

For women, being married (and often, by extension, having children) was associated with lower risks of ovarian and endometrial cancers. (iStock)

For women, being married (and often, by extension, having children) was associated with lower risks of ovarian and endometrial cancers, likely due to hormonal and biological factors associated with pregnancy, according to the researchers.

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Experts stressed that these findings do not mean marriage alone can protect against cancer.

“It means that if you’re not married, you should be paying extra attention to cancer risk factors, getting any screenings you may need, and staying up to date on healthcare,” Penedo said.

Experts stressed that these findings do not mean marriage alone can protect against cancer. (iStock)

The researchers also hypothesized that people who smoke less, drink less and take better care of themselves may be more likely to get married, meaning other factors could influence the findings.

More research is needed to confirm the outcome, they noted.

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The study was published in the journal Cancer Research Communications.

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This everyday drinking pattern could quietly raise liver disease risk

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This everyday drinking pattern could quietly raise liver disease risk

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Widespread drinking habit could triple risk of advanced liver condition

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Even occasional binge drinking could triple the risk of a serious liver condition, a new study suggests. (iStock)

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