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Antibiotics can be a wonder for treating bacterial infections – but we need to be cautious in how we use them. From shutterstock.com

Antibiotic resistant superbugs kill 32 plane-loads of people a week. We can all help fight back

Antibiotic resistant superbugs kill 32 plane-loads of people a week. We can all help fight back The Conversation, CC BY48 MB (download)

You might think antibiotic resistance is something to worry about in the distant future. But it’s already having a deadly impact today.

The number of people dying globally every week from antibiotic resistant infections is equivalent to 32 Boeing 747s full of people. And if that sounds scary, the projections for the future are even scarier.

On today’s episode of Trust Me, I’m An Expert we ask you to imagine a future where more and more antibiotics don’t work any more – and hear from researchers about how you can help scientists fight back.


Read more: 'This is going to affect how we determine time since death': how studying body donors in the bush is changing forensic science


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Read more: Trust Me, I'm An Expert: what science says about how to lose weight and whether you really need to


Additional audio

Kindergarten by Unkle Ho, from Elefant Traks.

Airliner by Podington Bear from Free Music Archive.

Images

Shutterstock

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