Misuse and stopping treatment early lead to resistance

Their invention was one of the greatest milestones of the 20th century. Antibiotics arrived on the scene and eradicated infections caused by bacteria, such as sinusitis, as well as those that affect the throat, ears, urinary tract and respiratory tract.

Today, however, an increasing number of people are opting to self-medicate or stop treatment early. Only taking these medicines under medical prescription and as instructed is important; not doing so is a risk and creates resistance.

Another widespread (mis)practice is using antibiotics to treat the colds and flu that go around during the cold months of the year. The problem is that these infections are caused by viruses and not by bacteria, so antibiotics do not cure these illnesses or prevent them from spreading.

The result is that antibiotics have lost their efficacy in recent years and diseases no longer respond to them. This is a major health issue that causes upwards of 2,500 deaths per year in Spain.

Experts estimate that there will be some 40,000 deaths a year from infections that were once easily curable by 2050 if the situation isn’t reversed. What can we do? Only take antibiotics when they’re prescribed by a doctor and following the doctor’s instructions closely.

New antibiotics against superbugs

Despite the resistance of many antibacterial drugs, new antibiotics have been recently discovered that are capable of fighting superbugs.

One is clovibactin. This potent antibiotic selectively damages bacterial cells without harming human cells. Clovibactin has a structure that stays stable for a long time, sequestering the molecules of dangerous bacteria long enough to kill them.

Another antibiotic that has shown great success in the fight against resistant infections is zosurabalpine. It is particularly effective against Acinetobacter baumannii, a highly antibiotic-resistant pathogen that causes pneumonia which the World Health Organization considers to be an urgent threat.

Sources:

Un nuevo antibiótico podría ser una arma poderosa contra las superbacterias. Javier Gregori. Cadena Ser. August 2023.

Descubren un nuevo antibiótico eficaz contra una superbacteria mortal. Sergio Parra. National Geographic. January 2024.

Los antibióticos pierden eficacia: más cerca del fin. Micof. November 2019.

This post is also available in: Portuguese (Portugal)