A crisis some call a “silent pandemic” is sweeping the globe. It’s grown steadily and stealthily, without drawing as much attention as viral outbreaks that have flared up over the same period. The culprit driving this pandemic: multidrug-resistant bacteria, also known as superbugs.
Superbugs show extensive antibiotic resistance, meaning drugs that would historically cure people of the infections stop working. Bacteria develop this resistance over time as they evolve, and they can easily share that resistance with other microbes, thus compounding the issue.
Scientists are working to develop alternatives to antibiotics, as well as employing strategies to make existing drugs work better. Live Science has been documenting their efforts, as well as the emergence and spread of new superbugs, over the past year. Here are 10…