How a cow could kill you: New antibiotic guidelines still fail to protect public

CNN Opinion By Louise M. Slaughter and Robert S. Lawrence  December 27, 2013    Strep throat should not kill you. Nor should a knee scratch that becomes infected.  For decades, the world has relied upon antibiotics to treat common infections. As bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics, these minor afflictions could soon become life-threatening.  Procedures that place patients at risk of infection, like hip replacements, dental work and open-heart surgery, could become far more dangerous.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in October that antibiotic-resistant bacteria — known as “superbugs” — cause at least two million infections and 23,000 deaths in the United States yearly. The cost to the U.S. health care system has been pegged at $17 billion to $26 billion annually.  Read more