They are often severe, and cause over 10 million deaths annually. Certain infections likes those caused by streptococci can do staggeringly fast damage. Up to now, bacteria have profited from the length of time it takes to identify them using culture media, a technique developed by Louis Pasteur in 1875. Two or three days are needed to know whether the infection is truly bacterial in nature.
Doctors currently use an empirical approach when dealing with infections.
They determine the likelihood that a bacterium is involved and generally prescribe a broad spectrum antibiotic to ensure maximum effectiveness. This means that taking antibiotics is completely pointless most of the time. This is one of the main causes of antibiotic overconsumption and the increasing resistance of bacteria to antibiotics.