Antibiotic resistance is one of the world’s most pressing threats to public health. Bacteria are changing in ways that reduce the effectiveness of antibiotics. These microbes can survive and continue to cause harm in the presence of antibiotics.
Infections cause by resistant bacteria can be difficult and sometimes impossible to treat. These resistant bacteria can also be shared with others, perpetuating antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotic use eliminates bacteria easily killed by the drug, and allows resistant organisms to grow. So antibiotic use provides a competitive advantage for resistant microbes.
There are a limited number of effective antibiotics, and fewer antibiotics being discovered and/or developed.
It is important to use the antibiotics that we have wisely.
Join the CDC initiative. You can help prevent the resistance!
- Talk with your healthcare provider about resistance
- Do not take the antibiotics prescribed for someone else