Bacteria are everywhere and mostly they are harmless. In fact, quite often they are helpful, but sometimes they cause illness. They are responsible for minor skin or ear infections and for more serious and potentially deadly illnesses such as meningitis or pneumonia. Bacterial infections are most often treated with a course of antibiotics. Multi-resistant superbugs are a strain of bacteria that has mutated (changed) after coming into contact with an antibiotic. The bacteria then becomes resistant to the antibiotic which means the antibiotic cannot kill the bacteria or stop them… Read more What is a superbug? →
The Australian government will seek to curb Australia’s overprescription and overuse of antibiotics in both humans and animals as part of a national plan aimed at preventing potentially deadly diseases becoming resistant to treatment. Launching Australia’s first strategy for tackling antibiotic resistance on Tuesday, the health minister, Sussan Ley, said more than 29m prescriptions for antibiotics were subsidised by the government in 2013, with the drugs reaching 45% of the population. It made Australia’s consumption of antibiotics among the highest in the world, she said. Despite this, Australia has never had… Read more Australian government to crack down on antibiotic overuse in humans and animals →
