Multiple drug resistance: A daunting challange

Bhuwaneswor Prasad Kandel

Lecturer (Medical Microbiology),

Prithvi Narayan Campus, Pokhara, Nepal

Bacterial resistance to various antibiotics has been observed since their discovery and the pace of development of new antibiotics in recent years has been paralleled by the appearance of resistance to these antibiotics creating a growing health problem of global magnitude. The relentless threat posed by microbial drug resistance has achieved the dimension of a global pandemic, with a relevant impact in terms of morbidity, mortality and health-care associated costs. The growing threat posed by increasing prevalence of extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) and carbapenemases among gram-negative bacteria has resulted in infections that can be extremely difficult to treat. Extensive and indiscriminant use of various antimicrobials in clinical and agricultural practices has been creating the major selective force for emergence and global dissemination of resistant strains and resistance genes. Misuse and overuse of antibiotics by clinicians and retailers, their use by patients in suboptimal dose and duration, and use of leftover antibiotics by patients, all have contributed to emergence and spread of multidrug resistant (MDR) bacteria. Residents of long-term care facilities (LTCF) and ambulatory patients are among the main reservoirs of most of antibiotic-resistant bacteria with severe and chronic illness, increased antimicrobial exposure, altered physiological states, use of indwelling devices, surgery, etc. being reported risk factors for infection with MDR organisms leading to treatment failure and prolonged period of hospital stay.

Modern Aspect of microbiology

The branch of biological science dealing study of microorganism (MOS) - bacteria, algae, fungi, virus & protozoa whose size ranges from 10 nm to 2 mm & parasites (e.g. nematodes) that cause different harmful & beneficial importance on life & existence of earth on the basis of scope field and practical application on modern science we are headed to following topics

1.         Pharmaceutical + Industrial Microbiology, in the context of world war-II, pertaining with dangerous invention & extensive use of germ bomb on boarder dispute along with military & rebel act, Alexander Fleming found the 'penicillin' antibiotic by penicillium no Tatum against infection of gram positive bacteria. Then P. cryseogenum also was used to produce penicillin. Now a days 'Collistrin' by Bacillus collistrinus chlorophenical by streptomyces veneuelae etc. are used in daily life.

2.         Vaccines by attenuated culture of bacteria - By reducing virulence, inactivating gene code or by other means bacteria with mild reactivity used as vaccine which employed as passive antibody to increase long lasting immunity and reinforcing subsequent defense mechanism.

3.         Recombinant metabolites- protein and peptide bond are used to prepare potential drug e.g. humilin is used to treat diabetes and some other.

4.         Recombinant enzyme- these are used to diagnoses as well as treat the diseases e.g. ureaseenzyme to depict urea in blood, trypsine enzyme in treatment of eyes particularly cataract surgery streptodicase to break blood clot in blood vessel and heart.

Money Plant

Introduction

Money plant is a common name for a few different plant species including Epipremnum aureum, Lunaria annua, and Crassul aevata. The money plant is very interesting plant with trunk. It has long five shiny leaves per branch but luckiest plants have six or seven leaves per branch.

Importance:

a.      Social Aspects

Money plant is used to the practice of FENGSHUI. It has five leaves that are believed to represent five of the most basic elements of FENGSHUI; metals, wood, water, fire and earth. A money tree that grows with six leaves is said to be even more lackey than the tree with seven leaves. It is considered to be extremely lucky. This is said to increase wealth and prosperity. The presence of money plant in the practice of FENGSHUI is said to balance out any of the five elements that are weak or missing from the room.

b.      Scientific Aspects:

The money plant is an herbaceous plant and often is called C₄ plant. As it has mechanism of converting CO₂ to organic compound during photosynthesis with the release of O₂ with least consumption of O₂ by the photo respiration releasing CO₂ as other C₃ plants do.

History of Ganotherapy

Ganoderma is known as red mushrooms which have medicinary power to prevent the human from different internal and external diseases. The research of Ganoderma is known as Ganotherapy. There are different kinds of mushroom found in this earth. Mostly the people are taking poisonous mushroom which kills the internal parts of the body and slowly he or she dies.


Ganoderma has become the powerful medicine in Earth. It is only found in high mountains and near the hills and in the shade of sun. There are different types of Ganoderma which is also called Gano. They are;
Ø Liver Gano,
Ø Peacock Gano,
Ø Heart Gano,
Ø Kimshen Gano,
Ø Brain Gano,
Ø Ruyi Gano.

Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD)

Einstein once said “if bees disappear from the surface of the Earth, man would have no more than 4 years to live.”

Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) or honey bee depopulation syndrome (HBDS) is a phenomenon in which worker bees from a beehive or honey bee colony abruptly disappear. The term colony collapse disorder was first applied to a drastic rise in the number of disappearances of Western honey bee colonies in North America in late 2006. European beekeepers observed similar phenomena in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain,  and initial reports have also come in from Switzerland and Germany, albeit to a lesser degree while the Northern Ireland Assembly received reports of a decline greater than 50% Possible cases of CCD have also been reported in Taiwan since April 2007. The cause or causes of the syndrome are not yet fully understood, although many authorities attribute the problem to biotic factors, environmental change or modern use of equipments. Their descriptions are given below:-

Mental health, addiction and community health

 Rosy Thapa, microbiology

Mental health can be defined as “a state of emotional and psychological well-being in which an individual is able to use his or her cognitive and emotional capabilities, function in society, and meet the ordinary demands of everyday life”. Mental health is not mere absence of mental illness. Mental illness can be classified into three types: psychosis, neurosis and epilepsy. Addiction is a chronic progressive and sometimes fatal disorder with both genetic and environmental roots.

GLOBAL WARMING

Bhaba Amatya

Zoology Department

Prithvi Narayan Campus, Pokhara

bhabaamatya@yahoo.com

Global warming refers to the rising global temperature. It causes climate change that is responsible for: flood; frequent and intense rain and snow; change in the normal occurrence of monsoon thereby affecting crop production; drought; land slide; vector borne diseases; more frequent tropical storms; forest fire and extinction of species due to the loss of ecological niches.

          Scientists all over the world believe that global warming is caused mainly by two processes as given below:

1) Increase in the level of green house gases such as carbon dioxide (Co₂), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCS), methane and water vapour due to burning of fossil fuel and deforestation.

2) Milankovitch cycle

An Endangered Species

An endangered species of a toothless mammal once found on the bank of Bagmati river is Pangolin. Pangolin found in Nepal is a scaly anteater. Its scientific name is Manis pentadactylus. It is a native of Asia, Africa, and some Island in Pacific. Largest of all the Pangolin is the Great Ground Pangolin; Smutsia gigantea of equatorial Africa.

Pangolin’s body is streamlined and tappesed at both ends with long tail. Its body is covered with scales which are made from hair cemented densely together. Its head is small, the face pointed and mouth without tooth. From the mouth the tiny long sticky string of a tongue can be exteuded several inches to pick up the insects . The limbs are provided with strongly clawed five digits.

Organ Transplantation

The word transplantation means the replacement of tissues or organs by healthy tissues or organs either in the same body or organ from one individual to another. Generally skin, cornea, lungs, heart, kidney etc. are transplanted through medical surgery. It is a decisive procedure used in those cases where survival of individual is in danger (transplantation is only the last resort as life expectancy of individual is short).