Last line of defence
Beware of the new antibacterial household products, says Clint Witchalls. They’re making life-saving antibiotics less effective
The world's arsenal of antibiotic drugs is dwindling fast. Pharmaceutical firms are not developing new ones, and many of the existing antibiotics are no longer effective against strains of “superbugs” such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. A recent study by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) found that approval of new antibiotics by the government's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has declined by 56% over the past 20 years. The society found only six new antibiotics in development. In 2003 the FDA approved just two new antibiotics. And this is at a time when drug-resistant strains of bacteria are becoming ever more prevalent.
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