Use of antibiotics as antivirus causes multidrug resistance

Although antibiotics are not capable of destroying viruses, physicians often prescribe them for viral infections causing patients to become multidrug-resistant, said child specialists at a discussion yesterday.

The ubiquity of antibiotics in prescriptions is a threat to successful treatment as the effectiveness of the drugs is reduced significantly due to overuse, they added.

Citing a 2014 study by Dhaka Shishu Hospital, its Director Prof Manzoor Hussain said 72 percent of the children admitted at the hospital were given at least one antibiotic, while 51 percent received multiple antibiotics.

"Most of these children are likely to become multidrug-resistant and all of their future infections will require increased doses for treatment," he said, concluding, "It is a vicious cycle."

The discussion titled "Abuses of Antibiotics in Children" was organised by Bangladesh Society for Paediatric Infectious Disease (BSPID) at  in the capital.

Asthma, diarrhoea and fever are caused by viral infections, he said. "But physicians prescribe an assortment of antibiotics for these diseases, disregarding the fact that antibiotics are designed for eliminating bacteria," he said.

President of Bangladesh Paediatric Association Prof Shahidullah said irrational use of antibiotics is weakening the immune system of children. National Professor MR Khan was present as the chief guest.