Why is antibiotic resistance a public health problem?

Because we live in a global society that shares microbes through our increasingly frequent interactions and travels, antibiotic resistance is a growing problem that affects every nation. Independently of how bacteria have acquired their resistance, the overuse of antibiotics is selecting for resistant strains and in many cases promotes the development of resistance. If large numbers of bacteria become resistant, infections will be more difficult to treat, antibiotics will have no effect and the number of deaths due to resistant infections will grow. Read more about the global antibiotic resistance pandemic and our collective responsibility in this situation.