the exceptionally dangerous thing China is doing that could accidentally kill millions

中國做了一件極危險的事可能意外

of people...

害死數百萬條人命

and not just inside China.

而且不只有在中國境內

Hi, welcome to China Uncensored,

嗨，歡迎收看「中國解密」

I'm your host Chris Chappell.

我是主持人 Chris Chappell

Bacteria.

細菌

Basically the bad guys from the Matrix.

就像是《駭客任務》中的壞人

Only real.

只是細菌真實存在

And everywhere.

遍及各地

A hundred years ago,

一百年前

outbreaks of infectious disease were fairly common.

傳染性疾病爆發相當常見

But then better sanitation and the discovery of antibiotics changed that.

但是衛生環境改善與抗生素改變了一切

Which is how we can have a world as connected as it is today,

現今全世界緊密聯繫

without this happening.

卻不再發生這樣的情況

"The most optimistic projection that USAMRIID is willing to make for the spread of the virus

「這是陸軍傳染病醫學研究所 對病毒擴散速度最樂觀

is this.

的預估

24 hours.

24小時

36 hours.

36小時

48 hours."

48小時」

OK, I know the movie Outbreak was about a virus,

我知道《危機總動員》談的是病毒

and I'm talking about bacteria.

而我說的是細菌

But they can both kill people following the same terrible pattern.

但是它們都具有同樣致命的傳染途徑

Anyway, antibiotics have saved a lot of lives.

總之，抗生素的確救了許多人的性命

But there's a problem.

但現在遇上麻煩了

Over time, bacteria can evolve resistance to antibiotics.

經過一段時間演進 細菌會對抗生素產生抗藥性

Which means you have to use stronger antibiotics.

這意謂你得用更強的抗生素殺死細菌

And when the bacteria become immune to that,

當細菌再度產生抗藥性

you have to use stronger antibiotics.

你又必須再用更強的抗生素

And so on.

持續推下去

It's like that episode of the Simpsons where Springfield solves its pigeon problem with

就像《辛普森家庭》有集演到春田鎮為解決鴿子過剩的問題

lizards that eat the pigeons.

想出用蜥蜴吃掉鴿子的辦法

"What happens when we're overrun with lizards?"

「萬一蜥蜴到處都是怎麼辦？」

"No problem, we just release Chinese lizard snakes.

「沒問題，我們只要放出 一波又一波的中國針蛇

They'll wipe out the lizards."

牠們會吃光蜥蜴」

"But aren't the snakes even worse?"

「到處都是蛇不是更糟糕？」

"Yes, but we're prepared for that.

「是啊，不過我們早有準備

We've lined up a fabulous type of gorilla that thrives on snake meat."

我們找了一種特殊的大猩猩 牠們專吃蛇肉」

"But then we're stuck with gorillas!" "No, that's the beautiful part.

「這麼一來到處都是大猩猩」 不會，這個辦法很妙

When wintertime rolls around the gorillas simply freeze to death."

冬天一到，這些大猩猩全都會凍死」

But what happens when you don't have the snake-eating gorilla version of an antibiotic?

如果抗生素沒有吃蛇大猩猩 的版本會發生什麼事呢？

Well, the world enters what scientists call "the post-antibiotic era."

全世界將成為科學家所稱的「後抗生素時代」

It's a time when bacteria have evolved resistance to all forms of antibiotics.

此時細菌已經演化到 對所有抗生素產生抗藥性

The BBC says this "could plunge medicine back into the dark ages."

BBC 報導「藥物將陷入黑暗世紀」

Which is why I've come up with "Dr." Chappell's Live Leeches.

因此我發明了 Chappell「博士」活水蛭療法

Guaranteed to suck out all the bad humors.

保證將你身上的壞體液完全吸出

So unless you're in the leech business,

除非你從事水蛭養殖

this is something you really, really don't want to happen.

否則你不會希望這樣的事發生

Well, haha, it's happening.

呃，哈哈，已經發生了

"The very last line of defense,

「藥物的最後一道防線

the last drug doctors used when all other antibiotics failed,

當一切抗生素都沒有辦法治好病人 因為細菌已經對抗生素產生抗藥性時

no longer works because bacteria have become resistant to it

這是醫生最後使用的藥物

things like surgery will no longer be effective."

此時諸如手術的醫療也不再有效」

The drug he's talking about

他所說的

the last line of defense

「最後一道防線」

is called colistin.

稱為克利黴素 (colistin)

It was first introduced in 1959,

克利黴素於1959問世

but hardly ever used,

但是流通率不高

even though it's really effective against bacteria.

雖然用於治療細菌很有效

That's because it's also really effective at destroying your kidneys.

因為這種藥也對腎臟造成嚴重的傷害

But it's still useful in those rare cases where all other antibiotics failed.

但仍適用於對一切抗生素產生抗藥性的罕見症狀

Fortunately, since Colistin wasn't used much,

幸好，由於克利黴素不常被使用

it also meant bacteria hadn't built up resistance to Colistin.

這意謂細菌不會對克利黴素產生抗藥性

Did you notice how I said all that in the past tense?

你注意到我用的是過去式嗎？

It turns out, Chinese farmers have been feeding Colistin to farm animals for more than a decade.

其實中國的農民已經餵養牲畜 食用克利黴素超過十年

You see, low levels of antibiotics can help fatten animals up,

因為低劑量的抗生素能讓牲畜長胖

plus keep them alive in the really, really unsanitary conditions of a factory farm.

而且能夠幫助牠們在衛生條件極差的養殖場存活

This unnecessary use of antibiotics is a very short-sighted way of doing things,

這種對抗生素的濫用是短視近利的做法

but it's done all over the world

但是這種做法在全世界十分普及

usually with other antibiotics.

通常還加入其他抗生素一起使用

But because almost no one else uses Colistin,

因為幾乎很少人使用克利黴素

it also means it's cheap.

這也表示這款抗生素相對便宜

Perfect for the poorly regulated pig farms of China.

這對於監管不力的 中國養豬場來說成了絕佳用藥

Except, according to a report in the Lancet Infectious Disease journal,

根據《刺胳針》傳染病學期刊報導

this has led to a gene that grants immunity to "the last line of defense."

抗生素濫用的結果將導致基因對「最後一道防線」 產生免疫

Researchers first discovered it in 2013 when they found E. coli bacteria that couldn't

研究人員於 2013 年首度發現 克利黴素無法殺死

be killed with Colistin in a pig on a farm near Shanghai.

上海附近養豬場內豬隻身上的大腸桿菌

Then, they found bacteria with colistin resistance in supermarkets and slaughterhouses,

接著，他們在超市與屠宰場內發現 對克利黴素產生抗藥性的細菌

and even in hospital patients.

甚至在醫院的病人身上也找到這種細菌

That's right, it's already spread to humans.

沒錯，這種細菌已經散播至人類

And this new resistant gene discovered in China is not in the bacteria's chromosomes.

而且在中國找到的抗藥基因 並不在細菌的染色體上

It's in the bacteria's plasmid

而存在於細菌的質體上

which means it can be easily passed around to other species of bacteria.

這意謂細菌能夠輕易散播至其他種細菌

The transfer rate has been called "ridiculously high."

轉移率被稱為「出奇的高」

In fact, this resistant gene already been discovered in Malaysia, Laos, and now, Europe.

此抗藥基因已經在馬來西亞和寮國被發現 現在就連歐洲也發現了

The fear is this new gene will get passed around along with other antibiotic resistant

恐怕這種新基因將隨著 其他對抗生素產生抗藥性的基因

genes.

四處散播

That could eventually create a pan-drug resistant bacteria.

最後產生出廣泛抗藥性的細菌

In other words, a bacteria that can't be killed by anything we throw at it.

換句話說，一種我們無法用藥物殺死的細菌

According to the authors of this report,

根據這篇報導的作者指出

"pan-drug resistance is inevitable and will ultimately become global."

「廣泛抗藥性細菌的出現將不可避免 最後會散播至全球」

Doctors will "face increasing numbers of patients for whom we will need to say,

醫生們將「對愈來愈多病人說

'Sorry, there is nothing I can do to cure your infection.'"

『抱歉，我對你感染的疾病束手無策』」

Now you might be asking,

你也許會問

well why don't we just make new, more powerful antibiotics?

我們為什麼不製造出更新更強的抗生素？

Surely there's some kind of gorilla-eating shark,

當然，我們可以找出吃掉大猩猩的鯊魚

or shark-crushing meteor we can use, right?

或是等待擊中鯊魚的隕石出現，是吧？

Well it turns out,

事實證明

making a new antibiotic is extraordinarily difficult.

製造新的抗生素是件極困難的事

It's been 30 years since the last antibiotic was created.

距離最近一次抗生素的問世已經三十年

Early this year,

今年初

researchers at the Northeastern University in Boston said they may have at last discovered

波士頓東北大學的研究者發表說 他們也許終於發現了

a new one that could help push back the post-antibiotic era.

可以延遲「後抗生素時代」來臨的新藥

But it hasn't gone through human trials yet.

但是此款新藥尚未經過人體試驗

And it can only push back the inevitable.

而且也只是將不可避免的事往後推

Every year bacteria become more resistant to the antibiotics we have.

細菌每年對人類製造的 抗生素產生愈來愈多的抗藥性

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that by 2050,

美國疾病管制局暨防禦中心估 至 2050 年

antibiotic resistant bacteria will kill 10 million people.

對抗生素有抗藥性的細菌將奪走一千萬條人命

Worst case scenario?

最糟的情況？

A global epidemic that can't be stopped by any form of antibiotics.

全球爆發一場無法用任何 抗生素醫治的的全球性傳染病

On the bright side though,

往樂觀面去想

this isn't the first time something like this has happened.

我們不是第一回經歷這樣的事發生

In the early 2000s,

21 世紀初

a strain of staph infection developed an immunity to an antibiotic similar to Colistin,

一種金黃色葡萄球菌株對 類似克利黴素的抗生素產生免疫

and the gene was also on its plasmid.

基因也是附在細菌的質體上

Scientists then had the same fears.

過去科學家們也感到同樣憂心

In 15 years, there's only been 14 infections in the US.

所幸十五年間 美國只有十四個感染的例子

The difference, though, is that this time,

這次不同的是

the resistant gene could spread more quickly because of Colistin's widespread use on Chinese

由於中國豬農對克利黴素的濫用 可能會導致抗藥性基因

pig farms.

加速散播

One piece of good news is that the US doesn't import pork from China.

好消息是美國並不從中國進口豬肉

In fact, you're most likely to eat tilapia imported from China.

實際上你較有可能吃到由中國進口的吳郭魚

Which is safe, right?

這個比較安全，對吧？

What, what's that, Shelley?

什麼，你說什麼 Shelley？

Tilapia feed premixed with colistin?!

吳郭魚的飼料中含有克利黴素

So what do you think?

你有什麼看法？

Is this the start of the post-antibiotic era?

「後抗生素時代」開始了嗎？

Leave your comments below and share this episode!

在下方的版面留言並幫忙分享這一集！

Make it go viral!

讓它向病毒一樣的擴散！

Thanks for watching this episode of China Uncensored.

謝謝收看「中國解密」

Till next time,

祝下次再見前

stay safe and healthy.

保持安全健康

Once again I'm

我是 Chris Chappell

(cough cough)

(咳、咳)