A “catastrophic” antibiotic threat is now something governments must act on, says England’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies. Few new antibiotics have been discovered in the past couple of decades, and bacteria resistant to currently existing antibiotics could kill many in the near future.
Some doctors have warned for years that antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria will become a serious problem, due in part to the over-prescription of antibiotics and their improper use. On Monday, England’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies said this is now a “catastrophic threat.”
Doctors are discovering new diseases at a much faster rate than new ways to treat them. The report highlights a “discovery void” over the past two decades when it comes to developing antibiotics.
