Contents

• Brief introduction
• Bacteria & Anti-biotics
• Anti-biotic resistance
• Historical background
• Survival of the fittest
• Principal causes of bacterial resistance
• Mechanisms
• Towards solving the problem
• Phage therapy
• Development of new drugs
• Bibliography

Description

Bacteria are microorganisms that exist everywhere — from the great Outdoors to the cleanest of homes. When they get into our bodies, they can cause illnesses such as ear infections, strep throat, food poisoning and pneumonia. Our body’s immune system uses specially designed cells to locate and shut down bacteria, usually stopping them before they can cause trouble. We get sick —what is called a bacterial “infection”— when bacteria in our body reproduce faster than our immune system. Antibiotics are powerful bacteria killing drugs that help our bodies regain the upper hand when a bacterial infection develops. Today, there are hundreds of antibiotics in use, most tailored to treat a specific kind of bacterial infection. (Centers for disease control and Prevention)