Quick Facts and Trivia

alexander-fleming-12.jpg

1. The first antibiotic was penicillin, which was discovered by Sir Alexander Fleming by accident in 1928.

2. According to the CDC (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention), 1 out of 3 antibiotic is prescribed unnecessarily.

3. According to the CDC, 80% of Americans have prescribed at least 1 antibiotic each year.

4. It is estimated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) that approximately 29 million pounds of antibiotics are given to livestock per year.

5. Before antibiotics, mortality rates were much higher from less dangerous infections such as skin infections or pneumonia.

6. In the United States, approximately 2 million people are infected by serious antibiotic-resistant infections, where about 23,000 patients die from it.

7. Without antibiotics, numerous crucial medical treatments such as transplants and operations would be impossible to perform due to the risk of infections.

 Learn more about antibiotic resistance in our Articles section.

References:

  1. CDC: 4 out of 5 Americans prescribed antibiotics each year [Internet]. Cbsnews.com. 2013 [cited 15 November 2016]. Available from: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cdc-4-out-of-5-americans-prescribed-antibiotics-each-year/
  2. CDC Press Releases [Internet]. CDC. 2016 [cited 15 November 2016]. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2016/p0503-unnecessary-prescriptions.html
  3. McKenna M. News break: FDA estimates US livestock get 29 million pounds of antibiotics per year [Internet]. WIRED. 2010 [cited 15 November 2016]. Available from: https://www.wired.com/2010/12/news-break-fda-estimate-us-livestock-get-29-million-pounds-of-antibiotics-per-year/
  4. Viskontas IMooney C. 8 scary facts about antibiotic resistance | The Center for Investigative Reporting [Internet]. Cironline.org. 2013 [cited 15 November 2016]. Available from: http://cironline.org/reports/8-scary-facts-about-antibiotic-resistance-5624
Picture: Alexander Fleming [Internet]. 2016 [cited 15 November 2016]. Available from: http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/alexander-fleming-151.php