Antibiotics, antimicrobial resistance and the control of disease - Essay

Antibiotics are used to kill bacteria:

Antibiotic is a naturally produced substance that is used to kill bacteria. The first antibiotic was penicillin produced from fungus. The word antibiotic means against life which means it is against the life of pathogenic bacteria.

In the case of the living organism that is treated antibiotic is 'pro life'. Antimicrobials are used to kill pathogenic microbes like fungus, bacteria, virus etc. Sometimes the microbes become resistant to the antimicrobials and they are said to develop is antimicrobial resistance.

When pathogens develop antimicrobial resistance newer drugs have to be developed in place of the earlier ones to treat the disease.