It was a bit of an accident when Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin. The British bacteriologist, known for being a bit untidy, left for a vacation after stacking his cultures of staphylococci on a bench in a corner of his laboratory. When he returned, he found one of the cultures had been contaminated by a mould that had killed the staphylococci. Although other scientists figured out how to produce that mould 鈥� penicillin 鈥� in usable quantities, it was Fleming鈥檚 discovery that launched the era of antibiotics.
Penicillin was the first 鈥渕iracle鈥� drug, and it did indeed do wonders. It quickly cleared up infections that previously lingered long and were too often fatal. It led many people to believe that there is a pill for everything.
That has led to a problem today that Britain鈥檚 chief medical officer says is as big a threat as terrorism 鈥� antibiotic resistance. The misuse and overuse of antibiotics has led to the evolution of bacteria resistant to the drugs. Unless this changes, the World Health Organization foresees a future in which even minor infections can be fatal.
While scientists wrestle with this huge problem, the rest of us can do our part. We can refrain from demanding antibiotics when a doctor says it isn鈥檛 necessary. We should not take antibiotics prescribed for someone else, and we should also complete the course of medication as prescribed.
The development of antibiotics was a good thing, but too much of a good thing is pushing us toward a health-care crisis.
