One hundred samples a day come to a microbiology lab in Budapest, Hungary. Among other tests, technicians check how well antibiotics work against bacteria taken from hospital patients. Results from labs across Hungary show a problem, common bacteria often resist treatment. Indeed, more than half of the cases of one type of bacterial infection resisted at least one of four popular antibiotics. Antibiotics were rather cheap, or free of charge, earlier, so there was no problem in receiving them.
Antibiotics are no longer free.
It's not a problem only for Hungarians. But infectious diseases, you see, don't need visas. Hungary established a nationwide network of public health laboratories 20 years ago. Now the scientists in the laboratory network are helping to point the way in Hungary's fight against bacteria that can defeat bacteria. Andrew Holtz, CNN, Budapest.