From The Germ Theory to Antimicrobials and Antibiotic Resistance

Abstract

The recognition that microorganisms (germs) are the major cause of human disease, not surprisingly, eventually had a dramatic impact on medicine. Although there were some farsighted proponents of the germ theory during the late seventeen hundreds, until well into the mid-nineteenth century the theory that disease was caused by bad air (so-called Miasma) held sway. The recognition that microbes can cause disease led to major improvements in hygiene and eventually led to the introduction of antiseptic and then aseptic surgery. The development of penicillin and other antibiotics at last provided a means of controlling bacterial infection, allowing for the application complex medical procedures, such as open heart and transplant surgery. The appearance of antibiotic resistance is no threatening the so-called golden age of antibiotics and there is a desperate need to develop new antibiotics, or new approaches to disease control. This review aims to provide a broad account of the history of the germ theory, which highlights some common misconceptions about the work of some of the pioneers involved, and emphasises the neglected contribution of others.