The Minnesota Health Department is among seven organizations around the country chosen to help fight the rise in bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. State Epidemiologist, Doctor Ruth Lynfield says, “This is a critical public health issue, and this is something that we all have to take very seriously.” The Centers for Disease Control is overseeing the effort and the state Health Department expects to receive just under three million dollars to support its work.
Lynfield says it’s everyone’s job to help stem the rise in bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. She says patients should not pressure their doctor to be prescribed antibiotics because “antibiotics are really only useful for bacterial infections. They’re not useful for things like the common cold or for the flu.” In addition to targeting harmful bacteria, antibiotics also destroy some useful bacteria in the body — giving bad bacteria an advantage to thrive.