Anticipation Of Victory Smashed

By the 1950's and 1960's, some people had begun to celebrate victory over infectious diseases. Some microbiologist even believed that these diseases would soon be a nightmare of the past. In 1969 the U.S. Surgeon General testified before Congress that humanity might soon "close the book on infectious disease." In 1972, Nobel Laureate Macfarlane Burnet along with David White wrote: " The most likely forecast about the future of infectious disease is that it will be very dull." Indeed, some felt that such diseases might be eliminated altogether. The belief that infectious diseases had, in effect, been defeated resulted in widespread over confidence. One nurse who was familiar with the dire threat that germs posed before the introduction of antibiotics noted that some younger nurses had become lax in simple hygiene. When she reminded them to wash their hands, they would retort: "Don't worry, we have antibiotics now."

Yet, dependence on antibiotics and their overuse have had disastrous consequences. Infectious diseases have persisted. More than that, they have roared back to become the leading cause of death in the world! Other factors that have also contributed to the spread of infectious diseases include the chaos of warfare, widespread malnutrition in developing countries, lack of clean water, poor sanitation, rapid international travel and global climate change.

Next time: Bacterial Resistance