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Antibiotic Resistance: A Growing Threat

The Rise of Drug-Resistant Bacteria

What are Antibiotics?

Antibiotics are medicines that can kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria, which are tiny organisms that can cause infections in people and animals. Antibiotics have been used for decades to treat a wide range of bacterial infections, from common ailments like strep throat to more serious illnesses like pneumonia and sepsis.

However, the overuse and misuse of antibiotics have led to the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria, which are bacteria that have developed the ability to survive exposure to antibiotics. This has made it more difficult to treat bacterial infections, and in some cases, has even made them untreatable.

Antibiotic resistance is a major public health threat. It is estimated that drug-resistant bacteria cause at least 2.8 million infections and 35,900 deaths in the United States each year. The World Health Organization has warned that antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health today.