DIRECTOR OF INFECTIOUS CLINIC: Is the epidemic of pox really threatening us? What is the relationship between autism and MMR vaccine? Are antibiotics curing us? (PHOTO)

The only link between autism and MMR vaccine against smallpox is that these two events occur at the same time - the first clinical symptom of autism occurs in the second year, and then the vaccine is administered. No other relationship has ever been proven, said the senior lecturer, Goran Stevanovic, director of the Clinic for Infectious and Tropical Diseases of the Clinical Center of Serbia. 

A world-class feat of Croatian doctors: They saved the legs of a Russian girl with brittle bones, they performed one of the most complex orthopedic surgeries

Recommended

While talking to our portal, he said that the society as a whole in Serbia is not threatened with the epidemics of smallpox that struck Kosovo and Metohija, but if we are not vaccinated, we should have fear, especially young which are covered the worst with vaccination. 

Stevanovic, on the other side, said that our country is threatened with diseases we didn't come across with, or the ones we exterminated, which is connected with the drugs resistance story and he emphasizes that not even doctors should take antibiotics on their own, but the managing doctor should decide if he needs it.

• Should Serbia be worried from smallpox?

- Smallpox with people who were not vaccinated can become very serious, and they can cause catastrophic consequences. According to that, if we are not vaccinated, we should have a great fear of smallpox. Should society be afraid? There is no room for panic at this moment but we have to invest maximum effort to vaccinate everybody. One dam that can stop the epidemic of smallpox is the collective immunity. 

• How do we get frightened and confused parents to vaccinate children?

- By speaking realistically, all of us, all the time, the facts and knowledge that it is much more dangerous to have smallpox than some of the extremely rare side-effects of the vaccine. There are completely different ways of explaining how autism arises, and the only link between autism and smallpox vaccines is that these two events occur at the same time. The first clinical symptomatology of autism occurs in the second year when the vaccine is administered. No other relationship has ever been proven. 

• In the event of a massive illness, can the infectious clinic respond to all the requirements?

- As always, whenever something happened that required the engagement of Serbia's infectious service, it always responded, even if the service had to work entire day and night.

Foto-ilustracija: Profimedia/Corbis

• We still don't have it but, is there flue in Europe?

- It's still early. In Europe, the presence of the influenza virus has not yet been established. There are plenty of respiratory and viral infections but there is still no flu.

• Over the past few years, we have been facing new or eradicated diseases. And you mentioned that both dengue and chikungunya virus, even SARS, are threatening us. What kinds of illnesses are threatening us?

- Take a look at the entire list of the World Health Organization, a list of all the infectious diseases that exist in the world, all of that is threatening us and the list is huge. 

Foto-ilustracija: Foter/PhylB

• Why?

- Because there is no point in the globe where you can go within the time limit that is not shorter than the incubation period of some disease. Practically, in the conditions of modern travel, a patient who doesn't know that he is sick can transmit Ebola anywhere anytime. So we can't answer if we are threatened or not, all infective diseases are threatening us. Some are threatening us more, some are present during the season like West Nile, we bring some when we come back from working abroad, like malaria brought by people who work there or tourists. Will it stop there depends on how quickly we can diagnose them and how much time it takes to be cured.

• Why do you mention SARS?

- Because SARS is something that is permanently present in near-east and far-east countries where endemic hotspots are maintained.

Foto: Tanjug/AP

• Is it true that there are viruses that don't react to drugs like bacteria do on antibiotics?

- Precisely. It's not the problem of that level like the one with antibiotics treatment. However, doctors who deal with the serious treatment of virus infections like HIV, hepatitis, have been encountering the resistance to drugs that are given against certain viruses. That is especially the case with the drugs given to the patients who need long time treatment, and that is HIV. The problem of resistance is known for a long time and it has been increasing. It is still not that problematic like with bacteria, but if we don't take care and start using rational methods, that problem will become larger and larger.

Antibiotics are drugs given exclusively for bacteria, antiviral drugs work on viruses. Both of them belong to one family of antimicrobial drugs. Every antimicrobial drug is designed to kill a specific type of microorganism, roughly speaking. And it should be used only for that. That means, if we give the drug to someone to has a viral infection, we won't treat him right, nor we will cure him by giving him the antibiotic that doesn't work on the virus. But, in the future, when he has a bacterial reaction, he will be resistant to that drug and we will have a problem. Wha is efficient at this moment we have to efficiently use to slow down the resistance development. 

Foto-ilustracija: Profimedia

• Can the antibiogram help in slowing down the development of resistance?

- No. For 90 percent of bacterial diseases affecting a young, healthy population, there is no need to perform an antibiogram at all. These are common out of hospital bacteria that are highly susceptible to antibiotics. But, then you, as a patient, should respect and listen to the doctor who told you to take the therapy for 10 days, and not to take it for 5 days.

• How much are hospitals responsible for resistance to antibiotics?

- Understand one thing, the most serious patients are treated in hospitals. The antibiotics resistance is partly created in hospitals but it was largely created in other places - by giving antibiotics in animal food to increase the growth, which was the case in the USA.

Foto: Telegraf

• Do we have that here?

- Our country belongs to the eastern contiguity of countries that, fortunately, have preserved the old law where such use of antibiotics is prohibited by law. But, unfortunately, it is coming to the other side. Antibiotics are medicines that affect the person that takes them, but also the entire ecosystem and they should be observed as such. According to that, the problem of resistance is not only connected to the hospital infections. It is seen there the most, but it is connected to the environment, with pathogenic microorganisms and resistant organisms in water for bathing. That is one global problem that doesn't only require the efforts of people who are in medicine, but also from veterinary, agriculture, and environmental protection...

(Telegraf.co.uk / Lj. Racic)