Name: Laura M
Age: N/A
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: N/A
Question:
I've heard so much lately about the overuse of antibiotics and the
subsequent evolution of "hardier" bacteria. This situation is compounded
by a lack of pharmaceutical research for new antibiotics.
My question is this -
are the strains of the skin eating bacteria difficult to fight as a result of
this situation? Or, would they simply be life threatening without the overuse
of existing antibiotics?
And another question - What does the future for antibiotics look like?
Thanks a lot.
Replies:
Tough questions you ask. The "skin-eating bacteria" are a problem
even without the antibiotic issue added. I don't know of any problem
of antibiotic resistance in these bacteria; they work so quickly, that the
real problem arise because folks don't know they have a n infection
until too late.
The drug companies konw about this problem, and are trying to find
better ways to use antibiotics (and new ones to use if the current ones
lose their effect). It's hard work, and very expensive to find a new drug
and bring it to market.
NEWTON is an electronic community for Science, Math, and Computer Science K-12 Educators, sponsored and operated by Argonne National Laboratory's Educational Programs, Andrew Skipor, Ph.D., Head of Educational Programs.