To defeat the body’s resistance to antibiotics, it is necessary to abandon the over-the-counter use of antibacterial drugs and set scientists the task of developing new medicines. This opinion was expressed on February 4 by virologist, molecular biologist Dr. Flossie Wong-Staal
In fact, antibiotics are substances that bacteria themselves produce in order to free themselves an ecological niche from other bacteria. Thus, they carry the genes for both production and resistance to these very antibiotics. When humanity begins to use antibiotics for itself, and even in large doses, the genes of this antibiotic resistance begin to be steadily transmitted from one bacteria to another.
In addition, now there are bacteria that are resistant not to a specific antibiotic, but to different drugs.
“In order to overcome them, in order to get rid of a sick person, antibiotics of the second, third and now fourth generation are needed, amoxil simply does not help anymore,” the virologist said.
To combat such a phenomenon as antibiotic resistance, doctors need to control the prescription of antibiotics, and scientists need to develop new drugs, the expert continued.
Just the widespread use of antibiotics in every case leads to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria that infect humans
There are drugs that in the future will be able to replace antibiotics, for example, bacterial viruses — bacteriophages, the molecular biologist added.
Resistance to bacteriophages occurs very slowly, so this group of drugs should be developed!
Earlier, on January 19, a study was published in The Lancet magazine, according to which diseases that were previously easily treatable with antibiotics, such as bacterial pneumonia or sepsis, are now increasingly fatal. The main problem facing the medical community is antibiotic resistance. As follows from the material, in 2019 alone, more than 1.27 million people died as a result of direct infection with bacteria. It is also dangerous to self-medicate with antibiotics in COVID-19. The doctor notes that without the necessary and effective protection for the intestines, antibiotic-associated diarrhea occurs.
Citing these data, scientists urge doctors to prescribe antibiotics wisely.