Kontext

Antibiotics are drugs used in both human and veterinary medicine for the treatment and prophylaxis of infectious diseases caused by bacteria. Although the first antibiotics were discovered less than 90 years ago, it was not until the 1940s that they were widely used for the treatment of infections. Therapeutic use of antibiotics as a disease control measure is one of the most important achievements in medicine, helping reduce mortality and morbidity from bacterial diseases. Over the years, in both human and veterinary medicine, antibiotics have been susceptible to incorrect and indiscriminate use, producing a negative impact on individual and public health, as well as the resulting emergence of antimicrobial resistance. This has led to the search for new alternatives.