Just Thinking

It is well established in the medical world that the overuse of antibiotics has been responsible for the development of superbugs. Anyone who understands evolution can work it out for themselves. The very few bugs that survive the antibiotic are a little more resistant to the antibiotics and as the process continues a superbug is developed. Even so, doctors continue to overuse antibiotics, writing prescriptions when there is not even any infection. D'oh!

There is another case where an equally silly action is being taken from an evolutionary point of view that does not appear to have been recognised. It is the culling (a polite word for killing) all birds in the vicinity when any one is detected with bird flu. This prevents the development of birds with resistance to the flu. Because the wild birds cannot be effectively culled they will eventually develop resistance, but birds kept by humans for food will not be able to develop resistance. This is a world wide action and it appears that no-one has considered the consequences. Bird flu will not go away because of this action.

I am reminded of King Canute.