抗生素是消滅細(xì)菌的小能手，但在殺滅或抑制過(guò)程中，細(xì)菌也一直在“反抗”。細(xì)菌為了生存，在跟藥物的不斷抗?fàn)幭赂淖兞俗约旱男再|(zhì)和狀態(tài)來(lái)維持生命，導(dǎo)致細(xì)菌對(duì)藥物產(chǎn)生耐藥性。例如，人們對(duì)抗生素的過(guò)度使用導(dǎo)致抗生素抗藥性變得越來(lái)越不可控。最近，經(jīng)濟(jì)合作與發(fā)展組織（OECD）的一份關(guān)于抗生素抗藥性的研究報(bào)告提醒稱，因耐抗生素細(xì)菌感染，在未來(lái)會(huì)有更多的人面臨著死亡的威脅，且預(yù)測(cè)將來(lái)這個(gè)問(wèn)題會(huì)越來(lái)越嚴(yán)重。

據(jù)報(bào)道，至2050年前，抗生素抗藥性會(huì)成為世界衛(wèi)生及健康嚴(yán)重的危害，甚至可能會(huì)超過(guò)癌癥及其它致死因素，成為極大的安全隱患。但值得注意的是，目前人類在醫(yī)藥的研究和發(fā)展上是日新月異的，在抗生素抗藥性這場(chǎng)綿綿無(wú)期的拉鋸戰(zhàn)中，人類該如何在未來(lái)的一段時(shí)間內(nèi)扭轉(zhuǎn)這一趨勢(shì)，可能是每個(gè)人都需要參與思考的問(wèn)題。

First do no harm: antibiotic resistance

① A report on microbial resistance to antibiotics is published today by the OECD, adding to a streak of new publications on the problem.

② Recent studies estimate that each year about 33,000 people in the European Economic Area and at least 23,000 in America die from infections caused by bacteria resistant to some antibiotics.

③ Inappropriate use of the drugs fuels the emergence of resistant organisms.

④ Half of antibiotics prescribed by primary-care doctors in OECD countries fall in this category.

⑤ In some cases, doctors unwittingly prescribe the wrong drug.

⑥ More worryingly, however, many dish out antibiotics under pressure from patients.

⑦ Nearly half of British general practitioners in one study admitted to prescribing an antimicrobial drug that they knew would be ineffective.

⑧ In southern and eastern Europe, self-prescribing is rampant: in Greece and Romania nearly a fifth of antibiotics are taken without a prescription.

⑨ The new report's ideas on how to solve these problems would be timely.