Antibiotics And Bad Bacteria

In an effort to defend themselves, many organisms in the macroscopic world have developed lightning-fast reflexes, sharp claws, or clenchable fists. Animals use their adaptations to help them survive in nature. In the microscopic world, however, organisms such as bacteria and fungi do not have the ability to ward off enemies with brute force, so they have to produce chemical defenses. In the case of fungi, specifically the Penicillium genus, their chemical defenses are against bacteria, in the form of antibiotics. In the early 20th century, scientists adapted these chemicals into antibiotics for human consumption (Wennergren 141). Since then, antibiotic use has grown tremendously, and they are now being used to treat bacterial infections in …show more content…
Antibiotics may be prescribed to treat an infected wound or as a preventative measure to prevent infection after a tooth extraction, or anything in between. The problem lies with when a physician prescribes them for something they are unable to treat, such as viral infections. In this case, antibiotics would unnecessarily introduced into the patient’s body, throwing off the carefully balanced ecosystem of healthy gut (flora) bacteria. In addition, antibiotics are unable to target only “bad” bacteria. According to the Spanish Ministry of Health, “During treatment with antibiotics, hundreds of thousands of bacteria, most of which are unrelated to the etiologic agent of a particularly infection … are destroyed.” It continues, explaining, “This selection pressure results in the emergence of resistant microorganisms” (Baquero 819). According to Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health, “Antibiotic consumption is increasing globally, with 20-50% estimated to be inappropriate” (Memish). This means that up to half of all prescriptions for antibiotics are written for essentially no reason. While bacteria will inevitably develop or increase their resistance to antibiotics, patient compliance is also a contributing factor. When antibiotics are prescribed, it is expected that the patient will take all of the medication in the indicated time frame, and on a regular basis. This is to ensure that all …show more content…
Once-life-threatening infections were now curable with just a simple treatment of antibiotics. However, our reliance on them and other antimicrobials for everything from medicine to food safety to making sure our hands stay clean after grabbing a door handle is steadily strengthening the bacteria they aim to destroy. As a result, harmless bacteria found in common places may be transformed into harmful superbugs the likes of which cannot be stopped by current antibiotics. And at the rate new antibiotics are discovered, things look more and more bleak every time a new superbug is discovered. Scientists simply cannot keep up with