The Worst Kind of Super

How Can We Fight the Rise of Deadly Superbugs?

In 2004, an outbreak of MRSA decimated my college rugby team. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus–also called MRSA (pronounced MER-sa)–sent every infected player to the hospital for treatment, every uniform and piece of equipment to the cleaners, and the rest of the season into a rut. In 2003, five players on the St. Louis Rams football team were infected with MRSA, too. We were just like the pros.

“Superbugs” are bacteria that have developed immunity to a wide array of antibiotics. Whether food-borne, hospital-acquired, or passed around the locker room, these bacteria …