The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is warning that superbugs, those resistant to antibiotics, will kill 2.4 million people in Europe, Australia, and North America by 2050 if preventative measures aren’t taken now.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is warning that superbugs, those resistant to antibiotics, will kill 2.4 million people in Europe, Australia, and North America by 2050 if preventative measures aren't taken now.  It also notes that "three out of four deaths could be averted by spending just USD 2 per person a year on measures as simple as handwashing and more prudent prescription of antibiotics."  More specifically, the OECD advises "a five-pronged assault on antimicrobial resistance -- by promoting better hygiene, ending the over-prescription of antibiotics, rapid testing for patients to determine whether they have viral or bacterial infections, delays in prescribing antibiotics and mass media campaigns -- could counter one of the biggest threats to modern medicine."  Michele Cecchini, the public health lead of the organization, told the AFP that following the guidance "would pay for itself in a few months and would produce substantial savings."