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The New York Times recently published this story on 'Superbugs' in India. Read the story, be terrified about the future. Nothing new there. There are lots of threats to our future - environmental disaster, disease, war, terrorism. We hear it all the time, so this is just another story about bacteria.
But the real issue here is policy. And for the moment, let's just think outside India. How can you ever possibly formulate a workable policy to prevent the spread of these same bacteria, that you know have already been responsible for untold human and financial losses, to your country?
The bacteria are deadly, spread easily, and are basically untreatable. But let's just say you're Canada. You can't possibly say no to imports from India. You can't possibly ban Canadian citizens from travelling to India and returning. You can't possibly ban people from India from travelling to your country. If you can't do that - and I believe that ethically you cannot - how do you prevent an Indian health crisis from eventually becoming your health crisis, too?
Of course the same can be said of just about every bacterial or viral infectious agent. This one just makes for a particularly good test case (or at least a particularly dramatic story) because the infections can't be treated and in some ways can't even be prevented. AIDS could be prevented through pretty basic precautions. Other diseases can be spotted through some basic screening even on arrival in airports. But this threat can't.
So in a modern world where the movement of people and goods is unstoppable, how can a responsible government ever formulate a sound policy to stop threats like this?
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