ESBL - Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase producing organisms, usually referred to Gram Negative Enterobacteriaceae. The un-ending war between human and pathogens had started since the early beginning of human species in the written or unwritten history. Well, pathogens simply way older than us, photogenically speaking. Human and pathogen stories also made up of great part of history of medicine. We can say we are co-evolved with them. Somehow, there are quite novel suggestion that we, human are made of viruses? see video:
The first antibiotic being discovered is Penicillin, by Dr. Alexander Fleming on 28 September 1928. It had marked the start of the an era of modern medicine where people try to come out with various biologic missiles and bombs to fight against human pathogen in this un-ending war. It seems like, we are winning the war initially, but halt! Don't mess up with ancestors or our human seniors, they are master in adaptation. It has not even been a century from where human first discovered these seemingly effective "weapon" until now where resistant strains of microbes, the titans are flaring out to bash human critically.
Eradication of microbial disease is a will-o'-the-wisp; pursuing it leads into a morass of hazy biological concepts and half truths.——Rene Dubos
If the world fails to mount a more serious effort to fight infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance will increasingly threaten to send the world back to a pre-antibiotic age. ——Gro Harlem Brundtland,Lesser and lesser effective antimicrobial been discovered, while more and more resistance strains of pathogens are emerging, we are almost left with no option eventually. Perhaps aggressive fight is not the solution? This let us to ponder how human can live peacefully with pathogens.
Well, back to the post title, ESBL - Extremely Sedative/Seductive/Sexy Boy's Love. It is a good example of how human behaviors are closely related to human health and infectious disease. Well, I am not trying to stigmatized people of any sexual orientation, but using gay/man homosexuality as an example would yield great impact because most people have the stigma towards this group of people.
When we think of gay, what comes in our mind? SEX! I am not sure why people made this association, but yeah, GAY-SEX-HIV-SATANIC are kind of synonymous? No for me while YES for those who not concern enough.
Ok, let me illustrate how human behaviors shaped our health and affects the human-pathogen relationships. To start off, I would illustrate that there are microbes all around us and all over our body, which is known as normal flora. The relative distribution and abundance of normal flora would depends on the local factors, such as humidity, pH, temperature and so on. Well,normal floras are "normal", most of the time, but if they went left astray to some odd parts of the body where they not usually belong to they are not so "normal" after all. Speaking of sex, let me mention that the warm and humid condition of anogenital region of human being serve as a good paradise or vocation spots for many microbes, they are simply having party there.
While they longing a bacchanal, human too are having parties, where a lots of bodily interaction can occurs to satisfy our bodily lustful desire and will sometimes end up with the intimacy of sex-homosexually or heterosexually. Phallic-vaginally, Phallic-cephalic, Phallic-anally. Choices are there. Don't assume anal sex is the privilege of gay people, man and woman can have such mode of sexual activity. OK, now, sexual activity can be viewed as the grand migration of microbes having party. Two human being at sexual intimacy, be it same sex or opposite sex, we are exchanging microbes all over with our partner, be it temporary or permanent. Well, I would like to add on that love is blind, we tends to accept everything and every bits of our lovers, then should we welcome also all the bacteria and viruses into our body with each thrust and stroke, each moans and groans. Penis, Anus, Vagina, Mouth are heavily housed by enormous microbes.
Back to gay. people having stigmas with these group of people because historically, the they are first group of people who were documented to be suffered from AIDS, well, sometimes being the first is not so good after all. But now, of 3 millions of people who had infected with HIV, most are people who practice heterosexuality.
In my opinion, human behaviors and stigmas will continue to worsen infection diseases spread, not only HIV but also others Sexually Transmitted Disease. Also, the openness and attitude of physicians and a country to notify the world about an ongoing or emerging infections is important to break the chain of transmission of communicable disease. The worst sometimes go to health care workers that is not concern with the hygiene in clinical practice. Poor hygiene is related to prolonged hospital stay, secondary infection with hospital bugs, poor clinical outcomes and increase hospital burdens. With many evidences to illustrate the effectiveness of hand hygiene, the compliance rate of this practice is not 100%. Well, we should start to think twice when we complaining that patients are not compliant, as we too are stubborn, this is perhaps the reality of human being. Health care workers, are we given the power to kill or to heal?
There had been one occasion where I attended a talk entitled "no more option" that discuss about the emergence of multi-drug resistant pathogen as human succumb our strategies of infection control to use of various antimicrobial drugs. The over-emphasized of treatment rather than prevention had it place for this problem. The awareness on prevention is not deep where a doctor actually ask the panel about the effectiveness and evidence of hand hygiene in controlling health care acquired infection. How ignorance, well, historically, Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis had shown us how tragedic and arrogant people can be. Read the evidence here .The ignorance among Dr.s also shown in the talk when everyone who were at least a clinical specialist or specialist-to-be tried to run off when the main speaker suggest that everyone stayed back for 5 minutes at the end of the session to learn proper hand washing techniques with the nurses. Well, Dr. I know you're Dr, but do you know you're Dr. ?
Going back to stigma, if we keep stigmatized those who are HIV positive, chances are they will find their own way to hide themselves out. It is a good thing, you would think. However, what if, one day, when you're in the same party as they are, and at that time your heightening urging libidos that drives you almost crazy, lead you to have sexual intimacy with one of them? Of course, they won't admit they are HIV positive if you're going to judge them. Also, at the emergency and burst of sexual urge, how many of us would bother to wear a condom as a protective barrier? At the end, the stigmas hurts everyone. Those who stigmatize get the disease, those who being stigmatized being torture psychologically. What for?
Well, this essay is written ad lib in a sleepless night, so you might not find any continuity, I do hope some of you might get some of the main idea. Well, ESBL - Extremely Seductive Boy's Love I would say(in my opinion). Still, I am not sure why gay is being depicted in an exotic sexual way, even most of the gay people "communicate" solely with each other in a bodily way. If it is a true love (haha, again, love is blind, we have to accept every part of our lovers?), there should have a emotional and spiritual aspects that we can go for. I know social pressure had led LGBT community being peripherized from the norm and development of the society, but I do hope one day, we can be more open-minded to these group of people. I am not encouraging people to be homosexual, but asking yourselves/pondering about it, can sexual orientation be encouraged? How many straights out there would volunteered or be encouraged to be "bent" ? LoL. We are simply born this way. Perhaps social stigmas towards LGBT society can be liken the antimicrobial selection pressure on microorganisms, eventually resistance and highly virulence strains emerged and neither human and pathogen can live with ease. Peace is the way, not the destination or result of assimilation. Things that make sense and created by straights are not necessary meant the same to LGBT, not to mention there is always some discrepancies among same group of people too. This is life, embrace the variations and celebrate the diversity, this is make what we are human.
Well, what ESBL meant to you? If I am gay, would you date me? hahaha. Don't judge! I am just a bit hyper, sleepless and imbalance for my friends are having holiday and vacation and I stuck in university, alone, wondering where's my next meal.
Well, girls don't emo, most hot, good looking guys in the market are gay? a weird phenomenon to me, or maybe it is just meant for creating the dramatic effect in gay film industries? I am confused, while people are celebrating LGBT in straights' films(do we need to categories strictly? aren't they should be just films to entertain us and to spend our past time with our love ones?), like depicting and make fun of sissies in movie scene, why when discussing about LGBT issue in society, they turn their eyes like the are not even involved/be responsible of !?
Well, good night and I hope I am sleepy, while in fact, I am not.
