How Economic Development Affects Antibiotic Resistance

Abstract

Initially, economic development increases resistance because migration of people to urban areas in developing countries increases incomes, crowding and the use of antibiotics. Also, developing countries often don’t require prescriptions or distribute high quality antibiotics. In developed countries, antibiotic resistance often falls or there is a decline in the rate of growth of resistance because infections decline with improvements in water quality, sanitation, housing and nutrition. However, in developed countries most antibiotics are used to treat food animals rather than humans. The use of antibiotics to treat food animals creates a risk that the effectiveness of antibiotics to treat humans will be reduced. However, evidence seems to indicate that antibiotic use in animals has had little effect on antibiotic resistance in humans.