Misuse Of Common Antibiotic Is Creating Resistant TB

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810104929.htm

ScienceDaily (Aug. 12, 2009) — Use of a common antibiotic may be undercutting its utility as a first-line defense against drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB). Fluoroquinolones are the most commonly prescribed class of antibiotics in the U.S. and are used to fight a number of different infections such as sinusitis and pneumonia. They are also an effective first line of defense against TB infections that show drug resistance. New research shows, however, that widespread general use of fluoroquinolones may be creating a strain of fluoroquinolone-resistant TB.