Page 3 - Antibiotics.pdf
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continues, occurring more often at                          Misuse and overuse of antibiotics
     night. It's a highly contagious, vaccine-                   have made once-treatable common
     preventable infection.                                      bacterial infections more difficult and
                                                                 even impossible to cure, because
                                                                 bacteria have evolved to evade
                                                                 antibiotics, leading to drug resistance.


                                                                 Earlier this week, the World Health
                                                                 Organization (WHO) released a report
                                                                 that described antimicrobial resistance as
                                                                 a global health emergency because the
                                                                 world was running out of antibiotics to
                                                                 treat potentially fatal infections such as
                                                                 tuberculosis, acute diarrhea, pneumonia,

                                                                 and urinary-tract infections.


     About 90% of all common sinus and                           Over the past few decades, scientists
     chest infections are viral or low-acuity                    tackled drug resistance with more
     bacterial infections, with the infected                     powerful antibiotics and drug
     person feeling better without antibiotic                    combinations., but with the last new class
     treatment in three to five days.                             of antibiotics (excluding variations on
                                                                 existing ones) discovered in 1987 and the
     Antibiotics for sinus infection may be                      few new ones in development not ready
     needed if infection is severe with high                     for market, the world is running out of
     fever, nasal drainage and a productive                      choices.
     cough, or if it lasts for more than a week.
                                                                 India is the world's largest consumer of
     Most coughs, sore throats and acute                         antibiotics, followed by China and the US.
     bronchitis cases in otherwise healthy                       Global antibiotic use rose 36% in the
     adults also don't need antibiotic treatment                 decade ending 2010, with Brazil, Russia,
     – only about 10% of people with a sore                      India, China, and South Africa accounting
     throat or bronchitis need antibiotics to get                for 76% of this surge.
     better.
                                                                 In India, as around the world, what's
     Only ear infections with discharge from                     fueling use is low awareness on the
     the ear caused by a burst ear drum                          potential harms, non-prescription sale of
     should be prescribed antibiotics — if                       antibiotics, a poorly regulated private
     symptoms do not improve within three                        hospital sector, high rates of hospital
     days, or if there are symptoms of a more                    infection, frequent infectious disease
     serious illness, recommend the NICE                         outbreaks, rising incomes and use of
     guidelines.                                                 antibiotics to boost livestock growth.




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