Antibiotics to treat respiratory infections can increase resistance to the drugs, Belgian scientists reported the findings in The Lancet medical journal.
In a study that looked at the impact of the drugs on individuals, Professor Herman Goossens of University Hospital in Antwerp showed a single course of a drug can lead to a build-up in resistance. “Exposure to the antibiotics was the strongest variable and this was independently associated with resistance,” said Goossens, a microbiologist.
He and his team analyzed the use of macrolide antibiotics, widely used drugs in primary care to treat ear, throat and lung infections.
“We have clearly defined, at the individual level, the direct effect of antibiotic use in selecting resistant organisms,” Goossens told Reuters.