Superbugs cannot be squashed, stepped on or swatted away. They are antibiotic-resistant bacteria that creep in to your physical being at the cellular level. In this episode of Second Opinion, you will learn about the correct use of antibiotics, how bacteria become drug-resistant Superbugs, why this is a serious public health problem, and what is being done to stop it.

What does not kill them makes them stronger.

Them, in this case, refers to the growing number of bacterial strains that can survive assaults by the most powerful antibiotics known to medicine. They have earned the nickname, "superbugs," and they're a potentially deadly threat that man has actually helped to create.

Like all living things, bacteria follow the laws of evolution and adapt to their environment. When you take an antibiotic, the drug kills susceptible bacteria and leaves behind those that can resist it. The survivors then multiply, creating a new bacterial strain that the old antibiotic is unable to kill.

In the United States and other developed countries, decades of overuse and misuse of antibiotics have contributed the emergence of bacterial strains that many of our "wonder drugs" cannot touch. And the more that antibiotics are used, the more bacteria evolve.

Antibiotic resistance is not a new phenomenon. Resistant disease strains started showing up soon after the discovery of antibiotics. What is different now is that antibiotic resistance is no longer an isolated problem. Almost all human diseases that can be treated with antibiotics have evolved and developed at least some degree of resistance.

Fortunately, most people are unlikely to be infected by superbugs. The greatest risk is in hospitals, adult care homes, and other environments where people tend to get sick a lot. They may be treated with a range of different antibiotics and are at greater risk of developing a drug-resistant infection. Also at risk are hospital patients with weakened immune systems who are in close quarters with other patients who may spread their infectious diseases.

Are we fighting a losing battle against superbugs? Hardly. Though resistant bacteria continue to pose a significant health risk, considerable work is in progress to counter the threat - by improving infection control, developing new antibiotics, and using drugs more appropriately.

You can help the effort in several ways:

• Do not insist on an antibiotic when your doctor says you do not need one.
• When you are taking antibiotics, finish your prescription. Even when your symptoms have gone away, bacteria can still survive and reproduce if you fail to complete your full course of treatment.
• Do not take leftover antibiotics or antibiotics prescribed for someone else. They may not be the right drug for treating your symptoms. By taking the wrong medicine, you can delay the proper therapy treatment and enable bacteria to multiply.