Drug resistant bacteria: why they’re important and what you can do to stop them

Bacteria are sneaky little bastards. They are capable of evolving extremely fast, and are continuously developing new counter-adaptations to our arsenal of antibiotics. The more they are exposed to antibiotics, the faster this happens. Very alarming recent headlines report that E. coli bacteria have been discovered in China with genetic resistance to polymyxins, a class of antibiotics currently used as a last resort against infections that are resistant to all other available drugs. Scientists have long warned of a ‘post-antibiotic age’ as drugs are rendered useless as a consequence of antibiotic overuse, and the discovery of bacteria that can get past our current last line of defence brings this disturbingly close to reality. 

Beetles for Breakfast

Over 1900 species of insects are commonly eaten by humans, as well as a couple of spiders and scorpions. Many of these species are seen as delicacies by some cultures: fried and buttered tarantulas in South America, for instance; while others form a staple part of local people’s diets, such as witchetty grubs in Australia and giant water beetles in Thailand. In many parts of South-East Asia, stands selling stewed silkmoth larvae, fried crickets and other insects as a street corner snack is not an uncommon sight. In total, it is estimated that insects form a major part of the traditional diets of at least two billion people worldwide.

In short, insects are consumed the world over, and for good reason: