Question: What kind of desises will we hav in 3 years time and in 10 years

Michael Loughlin answered on 14 Jun 2010:

thats a really interesting question…
well diseases aren’t all caused by micro-organisms, many are genetic, or caused by lifestle, food choices and so on. But if we stick with bacteria.and other micro-organisms

Bacteria are becoming more antibacterial resistant…so in 3 years there may be more antibiotic resistance to bacteria ..not somuch Staph aureus, but ones like E.coli, that already cause disease but only now are becoming resistant to antibiotics..in 3 years they could be more resistant. ..
and then we have viruses…which are great at changing and swapping their DNA with other viruses. Not on purpose..they can’t choose to get a piece of DNA that lets them become more infective, its all at randomn…however for instance Bird flu, that has only infected 300 odd people ..killed over 200 of them..if that could infect more people (like normal flu) well you can do the maths..( that said we are very close to vaccine for all flu so it is not something to worry about too much)

so 3 years..more antibiotic resistance, more reassorted viruses…

10 years..well by then global warming may well have kicked in by then and be changing the habitats for birds insects and of course micro-organisms, so i would imagine a range of organisms and so diseases not usually found in our cool climate..but more tropicla perhaps…depending what happens with weather systems and climate. Air travel has always allowed the possibility of exotic diseases being moved round the world..some may set up home in the UK if the weather suits…

really good question..thanks