Superbug Book Report

Germaphobes beware: the next incurable global epidemic is already here and, to make matters worse, you may unknowingly come in daily contact with it. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, commonly known as MRSA, is the villain of Maryn McKenna’s book, a terrifying tale of the negative consequences of modern medicine. It’s the kind of book that keeps you awake at night, itching to read the next chapter- and worried you could become infected. Through vivid case studies and scary scientific evidence about what appears to be an unbeatable pathogen, McKenna’s book, Superbug, is one that will make you afraid to step foot in a hospital ever again.

Published in 2010 by award-winning journalist and “Scary Disease Girl” Maryn McKenna, Superbug:

The Fatal Menace of MRSA focuses on MRSA, a variation of staph that has developed resistance to methicillin, as well as a laundry list of other antibiotics. The bacteria are experts at evading the defenses of the human immune system, entering through even the tiniest of incisions. It then spreads infection through the rest of the body and, unless the patient is given prompt and proper medical care, is often lethal. The book documents the facts of MRSA in a way that is scientifically engaging and provides easy-to-follow explanations of technical procedures. McKenna’s research is well documented, including reports by the CDC, Nature, and interviews with MRSA patients and their families. The writing eloquently combines narrative and scientific research, keeping the reader engaged in the story and science behind the superbug.
Superbug addresses MRSA as more than just a tale of poor hospital cleanliness standards, but as a testament to the antibiotic treadmill. As antibiotics are increasingly overused, bacteria become resistant to the available treatments. Scientists develop new medicines, each stronger and riskier than the last, and the bacteria gets stronger still. McKenna explores the emergence of antibiotic resistance, from the introduction of penicillin to the rise of VRSA, an acronym vancomycin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a strain of staph that is resistant to the only antibiotic that can be used to treat some strains of MRSA. The book discusses the continuing rise of antibiotic resistant bacteria as well as the science behind antibiotic resistance.
Although finding a disease that is “the most frightening epidemic since AIDS” seems to be a lofty goal, MRSA is the quite possibly one of the most qualified candidates. Not only is MRSA a deadly killer, it’s one without a weakness. A superbug without a Kryptonite. As book goes on the possible cures for MRSA trickle away as the bug develops resistance to antibacterials, infiltrates and runs rampant in hospitals, and then spreads to the outside world. What was once seen as a hospital-only infection is, in reality, everywhere we go. McKenna pulls no punches, revealing the near omnipresence of MRSA. Hospitals have it, the public bathroom has it, the farm that raised the pig you ate for lunch has it, you and I have it on our skin, the list goes on and on. What arises from McKenna’s disease-specific research is a tale straight out of a horror movie. Nowhere to run, and nowhere to hide.
Chapters of Superbug begin with descriptive case studies that showcase an aspect of MRSA that is fleshed out later in the chapter. These stories follow a predictable and frustrating pattern where an infected patient is misdiagnosed and prescribed antibiotics that have no effect on the resistant bacteria. When their infection inevitably worsens, they are rushed to the hospital and teeter on the brink of life and death while hospital workers fight against the clock to diagnose their condition. In these cases, physicians seem to know little about a disease that will kill a patient if misdiagnosed. Case after case of misdiagnosis and ineffective treatment undermines even the most optimistic reader’s trust in the healthcare system.
McKenna selects stories that are particularly striking, such as young children and newborns who are suddenly struck with sickness and balance tragically between life and death until ICU doctors prescribe vancomycin, the only drug that can kill MRSA bacteria.

Facts of the victim’s case are laid out one by one, as if clues to a whodunit game where the culprit is ubiquitous MRSA. Descriptions are lengthy and vivid, describing everything from the patient’s painful symptoms to gruesome surgical procedures that will upset even the toughest of stomachs. This is definitely not the book to read before a large meal. The book reads like an episode of Frontline, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat until the end.

Not only are the descriptions of cases terrifying, but McKenna’s word choice provides the fuel for the fire. The book uses phrases that sound as if they were pulled directly out of a Contagion sequel, such as a rare subcategory of MRSA that manifests as a “flesh eating disease.” “Cloud babies,” is a name given to infected newborns that are capable of spreading MRSA throughout hospital nurseries by shedding the bacteria on microscopic particles,. These erie definitions and surreal scientific evidence work in conjunction with McKenna’s knack for storytelling to paint a picture of the next big

epidemic.
Superbug is a must-read for students with a brave soul and an interest in the topic of antibiotic resistance. This book is filled with fascinating and scary science that strikes fear into the most assured reader. McKenna’s writing style captivates the reader and keeps them reading even through complicated scientific explanations. For those looking for the plot of the next horror film, look no further. The next global epidemic is already here, and there is no vaccine or cure. Superbug is the terrifyingly accurate account of MRSA that will keep readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish.