Watch 6:11
Why overuse of antibiotics is a massive, ‘staggering’ problem in health care
A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that we are losing ground in the battle against so-called superbugs -- the harmful or deadly bacteria resistant to nearly all our antibiotic defenses. William Brangham talks to…
Nonprofit drug maker produces TB antibiotic after private companies wouldn’t
The new antibiotic, called pretomanid and developed by the nonprofit TB Alliance, achieved a 90 percent success rate among patients with drug-resistant TB.
Watch 7:29
How a volunteer surgical team in Rwanda chooses which patients to save
Rheumatic heart disease develops when strep throat goes untreated. It causes an estimated 275,000 premature deaths per year, mostly youth in developing countries like Rwanda, where antibiotics are rarely available. Surgery is the only treatment option for advanced cases. Special…
‘Drug sanctuaries’ offer hope for a post-antibiotic world
As a post-antibiotic future beckons, how can humanity protect itself against the proliferation of superbugs? Research suggests 'drug sanctuaries' in hospitals could be a promising solution.
Deadly antibiotic resistance is predicted to eclipse the number of people affected by cancer by 2050, and one of the biggest causes is overuse. A new study out Monday found the use of antibiotics worldwide has increased 65 percent in…
For decades, almost all factory-farmed chickens were raised on antibiotics. But low doses of “maintenance” antibiotics can spur bacteria to build resistance, creating superbugs. Economics correspondent Paul Solman and science correspondent Miles O’Brien report team up to examine why one…
As high-density, industrial-scale livestock farms have become fertile breeding grounds for disease, they’ve also become a major source of drug-resistant superbugs. Science correspondent Miles O’Brien and economics correspondent Paul Solman team up to report on how scientists are studying how…
In the book "Big Chicken," Maryn McKenna chronicles how humanity went from developing antibiotics to keep healthy to standing on the verge of an onslaught of unstoppable diseases.
Some health professionals are advocating for shorter antibiotics courses, going so far as to say maybe patients should stop taking antibiotics once they feel better.
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