Survival disadvantages
Many animals with albinism lack their protective camouflage and are therefore less able to conceal themselves from their predators or prey: The survival rate of animals with albinism in the wild can be low, however, it has been stated that in studies where animals had many places to hide, predators captured albino and normally coloured animals at the same rate. Furthermore, albino animals may be excluded from families or other groups, or rejected as mates.The novelty of albino animals has occasionally led to their protection by groups such as the Albino Squirrel Preservation Society. They have also been protected in studies on their ecology, sociology and behaviour. Reduced viability
Studies on medaka fish in the laboratory, i.e. with no predators, sufficient food supply, controlled temperatures, etc., found that albinos had considerably reduced viability; from 800 albino embryos, only 29 survived to full adulthood. Early studies on fish led some researchers to describe albinism as a "semi-lethal mutation". Hearing disorders
Pigmentation disorders such as albinism are occasionally associated with hearing impairments in mice, rats, guinea pigs and cats. In mammals
Artificially selected
Intentionally bred albinistic strains of some animal species are commonly used as model organisms in biomedical research and also as pets. Examples include the BALB/c mouse and Wistar and Sprague Dawley rat strains, laboratory rabbits and ferrets. Albino axolotl (an amphibian) are also used widely in the laboratory as their transparent skin allows observation of the underlying tissues during limb regeneration.
Plazomicin, sold under the brand name Zemdri, is an aminoglycoside antibiotic used to treat complicated urinary tract infections. As of 2019 it is recommended only for those in whom alternatives are not an option. It is given by injection into a vein.Common side effects include kidney problems, diarrhea, nausea, and blood pressure changes. Other severe side effects include hearing loss, Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea, anaphylaxis, and muscle weakness. Use during pregnancy may harm the baby. Plazomicin works by decreasing the ability of bacteria to make protein.Plazomicin was approved for medical use in the United States in 2018. It is on the World Health Organizations List of Essential Medicines. Medical uses
Plazomicin is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for adults with complicated urinary tract infections, including pyelonephritis, caused by Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, or Enterobacter cloacae, in patients who have limited or no alternative treatment options. Zemdri is an intravenous infusion, administered once daily. The FDA declined approval for treating bloodstream infections due to lack of demonstrated effectiveness. The lack of demonstrated effectiveness was not so much about the antibiotic itself being ineffective so much as the low enrollment rate for the study. Studies using mouse models however, showed a high survival rate.Plazomicin has been reported to demonstrate in vitro synergistic activity when combined with daptomycin or ceftobiprole versus methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant S. aureus and against Pseudomonas aeruginosa when combined with cefepime, doripenem, imipenem or piperacillin/tazobactam. It also demonstrates potent in vitro activity versus carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.