Warning given on overuse of antibiotics
NEW YORK (UPI) -- Overuse of antibiotics to eradicate dangerousbacteria presents the possibility of permanently killing offbeneficial bacteria as well, a U.S. researcher says.
Martin Blaser, chair of the department of medicine at New YorkUniversity's Langone Medical Center, warns the widespread use ofantibiotics may be having unintended consequences, causing permanentchanges to the body's protective, "friendly" bacteria and harm to thebody's natural defense system.
A child in the United States or other developed countries has had anaverage of 10 to 20 doses of antibiotics by age 18, an NYU releasesaid Wednesday.
Antibiotics have helped improve health and increase life expectancy,but are non-discriminatory and destroy even friendly bacteria,scientists say.
Some of the beneficial bacteria may never recover and such extinctionscould lead to increased susceptibility to infections and diseases suchas obesity, allergies and asthma, inflammatory bowel disease and type1 diabetes, they warn.
In a commentary published in the journal Nature, Blaser argues thatwidespread use of antibiotics should be replaced with narrow spectrum,more-targeted drugs.
"I believe that doctors of the future will be replacing "lost" membersof our normal flora in young children to diminish the risk ofdevelopment of these important and chronic diseases," Blaser said.
Copyright 2011 by United Press International
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