Fact Sheet. Antibiotic resistance â a growing problem. One of the biggest threats to human health today is something c
General Public
Fact Sheet Antibiotic resistance – a growing problem
What causes antibiotic resistance?
One of the biggest threats to human health today is something close to home.
The more antibiotics are used, the more chances bacteria have to become resistant to them. Major causes of antibiotic resistance include:
Antibiotics are important medicines used to treat a wide variety of infections. But overuse and misuse of antibiotics is increasing the problem of antibiotic resistance.
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using antibiotics when they are not needed
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not taking antibiotics at the doses and times that a doctor prescribes – this allows time for the bacteria in your system to become resistant.
Antibiotic resistance is everyone’s problem. We all need to handle antibiotics with care.
Antibiotics don’t work for all infections There are simple things we can do to make a real difference. Understanding how to use antibiotics correctly and responsibly is an important first step.
How can I handle antibiotics with care and help prevent antibiotic resistance? Antibiotics don’t work for viral infections like colds and flu Taking antibiotics when they’re not needed means they won’t work when we need them in the future for bacterial infections. Keep your antibiotics to yourself Don’t share antibiotics with others. Another person may have a different infection and this can lead to antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotics only work on bacteria, not other infections like viruses that cause colds and flu. Taking an antibiotic when it’s not needed won’t help you get better quickly and may give you side effects. It will not make a significant difference to how you feel or how fast you recover. When you start to feel better from a cold or flu it’s usually because your immune system is doing the work to treat the infection.
How does antibiotic resistance affect people? Using antibiotics when you don’t need to may make them less effective when you do. •
Return leftover medicine to your pharmacy or doctor for disposal Don’t keep leftovers for another time.
If you or a family member has an antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection
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they could have the infection for longer
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Take your antibiotics at the right time If you are prescribed antibiotics, it is important that you follow your doctor’s advice on when, how and for how long to take them.
they may be more likely to have complications of the infection
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they could remain infectious for longer, and pass the infection to other people, which increases the problem
Take simple steps to avoid infections Cover your mouth when sneezing or coughing. Wash hands with soap, especially before preparing or eating food and after blowing your nose.
