Superbugs Could Kill 10 Million People Each Year If We Don’t Figure Out How To Stop Them

Amid the frenzy about a potential Ebola outbreak in the United States in recent months, many Americans may have forgotten about the more common deadly viruses that have claimed millions of lives in years past.

Now, a new British-commissioned review has turned attention back to the growing threat of drug-resistant superbugs and raised questions about how to best quell their impact. If left unabated, the superbugs could kill an additional 10 million people annually and drive healthcare costs up by $100 million by 2050.

“Antibiotic resistance is a direct threat to the well-being of ordinary people who need to depend on antibiotics to treat everyday infections,” infectious disease specialist Dr. Timothy Leahy told ThinkProgress.

Leahy, a professor at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, added: “There are only two ways to fight antibiotic resistance: stop antibiotic misuse and create new antibiotics. Both are challenging because they require us to balance public health concerns with either ingrained habits or vested interests.”

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