This suggests that such resistant strains are circulating widely in the community. However, another possibility suggested by the researchers is that resistance to common antibiotics such as ampicillin also encouraged some resistance to the less frequently-used drug. Bacteria can be passed easily from person to person, or from animals to people. Most never cause illness unless they are present in an injury or surgical wound, or unless the patient's immune system is weak. Doctors and vets have been told to stop using antibiotics except where absolutely necessary.
Overuse of antibiotics helps bacteria acquire extra resistance more quickly.
Some highly-resistant strains of bacteria can be treated only with a tiny number of antibiotics. The usage of antibiotics is the overall driving factor in the development of resistance. Therefore, ways of reducing this resistance must focus on the amount of antibiotics to which the population as a whole are exposed. The study, which originally appeared in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, was reported in New Scientist magazine. Drug tackles Prozac libido loss NHS plans germ war response Go-ahead for cancer drug Heart implant man 'making progress' Links to more Health stories are at the foot of the page.