Every year, at least 2 million Americans contract infections that are resistant to antibiotics. According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, at least 23,000 patients per year die from these infections. Among the victims are the very young, those older than 60 years of age or immune-suppressed people. The superbug’s genesis and growth could be halted with a few common sense tips and a lot of public education.

Antibiotics vs. Antibacterial Infections

Antibiotics are the most frequently prescribed medicines in modern practice. There are about a 100 different types, and they are generally used to treat germ-based infections -- those caused by bacteria and certain parasites. They are typically prescribed for serious infections such as pneumonia and meningitis. Antibiotics work by either killing the bacteria or preventing them from reproducing.

Antibacterial infections are caused by less than 1 percent of all known bacteria. An example of “good” bacteria is the type that aids digestion, supplying the body nutrients and destroying disease-carrying cells. Infections are often indicated by the rapid onset of symptoms caused by toxins cast off by the ever-growing mass of infectious cells.

With the introduction of antibiotics, bacteria are doing what they are programmed to do -- change or die. Most bacteria die when antibiotics are introduced, but there are those with qualities that allow it to neutralize the drug’s action or block the effects of the antibiotic. Those carrying these qualities live on to multiply, passing on anti-antibiotic features to the next generation. Also, there are bacteria that can pass antibacterial strains between microorganisms, one to another.

Antibiotics are not effective against the common cold, flu, most sore throats and ear infections. These ailments most likely are caused by viruses, which do not respond to antibiotics.