Antibiotic resistance: true or false?

FALSE: Antibiotics are (prescription-only) medicines that prevent the growth of bacteria or kill them. Antibiotics are ineffective if the infection is caused by viruses, which is the case for colds and most gastrointestinal conditions. Antibiotics also have no effect against fungal diseases or parasitic infections such as malaria. Share

FALSE: Antibiotics have no effect against viruses; colds and flu are caused by viruses. Share

TRUE: An antibiotic is a weapon that becomes increasingly blunt the more it is used. That’s why you should avoid taking these precious medicines if there is no valid reason. Every time antibiotics are used, resistant bacteria can multiply, because they take advantage of the fact that the other bacteria die and make room for them. Share

FALSE: It’s not people who become resistant, but bacteria. Resistant bacteria can multiply and spread from one person to another, or between humans and animals. They can make treatment of an infection more difficult, prolong it, or in the worst case, even make it impossible. Share

TRUE: In Switzerland, the Ordinance on Veterinary Medicinal Products has prohibited the use of antibiotics to accelerate growth in animals since 1999. This ban came into force in the European Union in 2006. Share

True: Antibiotics are not broken down by the human body. As part of our metabolic processes, we excrete some of these into the wastewater via the toilet. And our wastewater treatment plants hardly filter out these substances at all. As a result, they pass directly into the rivers and lakes. Share

TRUE: Antibiotics help us to fight infections. They are biologically active substances. This is desirable when combating disease; however, antibiotics have the same effect on natural organisms in water bodies. They can be especially harmful to fish and other aquatic organisms in a cocktail of chemical residues from municipal wastewater. Share