Antibiotics are widely used and understood in medicine, food production and household products, but little is known about their cumulative effect on the environment. That has never been suggested with regard to antibiotics. At the bottom of the food chain, most bacteria are harmless and many actually benefit their hosts by providing nutrients or protection from pathogens or disease. Resistance to antibiotics is a natural result of the ability of bacteria to adapt, the report notes. When antimicrobial agents are introduced into the environment, bacteria respond by becoming more resistant.
Antibiotics can upset the balance of that flora.
A shift in microflora can lead to a diseased state. The report was released by the American Society for Microbiology . Visit the Reservoirs of Antibiotic Resistance . Also go to the Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibviotics .