Be smart about antibiotic use

FALLBROOK – When used correctly, antibiotics and similar drugs known as antimicrobial agents can alleviate infections caused by various bacteria and some types of fungi and parasites. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention says that these drugs have been used successfully for the last 70 years to treat patients with infectious diseases.

But antibiotics cannot treat illnesses stemming from viruses, which include most colds and the flu.

As effective as antibiotics can be, antibiotic resistance is a growing problem. The CDC reports that at least two million people become infected wi...