50 years ago, antibiotic resistant bacteria became a problem outside hospitals
Excerpt from the August 24, 1974 issue of Science News
Multidrug resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA (purple in this colorized microscope image), is one of the leading causes of antibiotic-resistant infections and death worldwide.
NIAID/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
Rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria — Science News, August 24, 1974
Antibiotics have saved millions of people from life-threatening bacterial infections. But these “miracle” drugs have a serious drawback: Bacteria can build resistance to them. Resistant strains … have multiplied to the point where they may cause 50,000 to 100,000 deaths a year in American hospitals.… [The pathogens] are also becoming a health danger outside the hospital.
Update
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are now a leading cause of death worldwide. In 2019, the pathogens directly killed over 1 million people and played a role in nearly 5 million deaths (SN: 1/24/22). As antibiotics lose their potency due to misuse and overuse, scientists are searching for new and diverse strategies to combat bacteria (SN: 5/28/19). Those strategies include using ointments that render bacteria vulnerable to antibiotics and co-opting bacterial jumping genes to kill or weaken pathogens. Scientists also are studying how “last resort” antibiotics work, which could guide efforts to modify them as bacteria build up resistance.
