Related: go to: vaccination go to: bacterial diseases in history
Antibiotics have frequently received negative publicity. Some people believe they are bad chemicals that should be avoided at all costs. It is important to know that they are our best tool against infectious diseases, and that in the era before antibiotics were applied, infectious diseases were a major cause of death. Nevertheless, the use and misuse of antibiotics has negative side effects. They can remain in the body for some time after application, and this can also be the case in animals used for meat production. In the In organic agricultural produce the use of antibiotics is therefore restricted or prohibited (source: Organic Trade Association). The application of antibiotics as a growth promoter in animals raises questions: Is agriculture promoting antibiotic resistance? (Source: The WhyFiles).
Antibiotics are extremely important in
medicine, but unfortunately bacteria can become resistant to them.
Antibiotics have probably been around nearly as long as microorganisms
have, and nature has provided bacteria with means to overcome their action. Resistance
to antibiotics can become problematic, for it makes these powerful medicines completely ineffective. How do bacteria become resistant? (Source: FDA). Some bacteria have learned to deal with practically
all types of antibiotics we have available, and this can cause real problems
in health institutions. Strict quarantine measures are needed to prevent
the spread of such superbugs
(Source: Austr. Broadcasting Company ) for we have little weapons left against them.
Extremely resistant bacteria causing Tuberculosis (Source: M. Quinn) form a serious threat. If you want to read more on
the
challenge of antimicrobial resistance, check out this article (from
Scientific American). A collection of news items on antibiotic resistance is provided here (Source:
Chris King).
In search of an alternative, scientists have seen the light: maybe UV light can kill bacteria in food and medical products (Source: Am. City Business Center). We could also learn from Nature to find new weapons for the combat of bacteria. For instance to use viruses that kill bacteria. these are called 'bacteriophages' and are the natural enemies of bacteria. You can read more about phagesin another display. In case you don't like the idea to fight bacteria with their own 'diseases', you probably like this 'new' invention even less: maggots are efficient cleaners of open wounds, eating away decayed flesh and preventing bacterial overgrowth, without doing further damage. Odd though it seems: maggots are used to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria in human medicine (source: S. Thomas).
The content of this page is copyright of the Virtual Museum of Bacteria and was written by Dr. T. M. Wassenaar (curator), with support of the Foundation for Bacteriology.
Choose another exhibit in this catagory or go to another catagory from the menue at the top of this page
Page last modified: 09 Mar 2007
Keep an eye on this site, we are reconstructing it and a new version will be online soon.