antibioticera

Antibioticera is a neologism used to describe the historical period dominated by the discovery, development, and widespread use of antibiotics as primary tools against bacterial infection. The term signals a distinct phase in medicine, though it is not a standard designation in most scholarly literature.

Origins and impact: In 1928, Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin, and by the 1940s mass production enabled rapid clinical deployment. The antibiotic era expanded with the introduction of many drug classes, including beta-lactams, aminoglycosides, macrolides, tetracyclines, and fluoroquinolones. Antibiotics became essential for reducing mortality from bacterial diseases and enabled advances in surgery, oncology, transplants, and critical care. They also reshaped public health, vaccination strategies, and infection control.

Characteristics and consequences: The era is defined by immense benefits in treating bacterial infections, but it also fostered unintended consequences. Widespread use created selective pressure that contributed to antimicrobial resistance, threatening the effectiveness of standard treatments. Disruptions to human and environmental microbiomes, along with agricultural use of antibiotics, amplified resistance dissemination. Efforts to mitigate these effects include antibiotic stewardship, infection prevention, vaccination, rapid diagnostics, and surveillance initiatives.

Current status and future: Development of new antibiotics has slowed in recent decades, with economic and scientific challenges limiting investment. Addressing resistance involves global monitoring (such as surveillance programs), prudent prescribing, restrictions on non-therapeutic use in animals, and research into novel approaches—host-directed therapies, bacteriophages, combination regimens, diagnostics, and alternative antimicrobial strategies. The boundaries and characterization of the antibioticera remain debated, with some scholars advocating a broader view that includes evolving antimicrobial paradigms beyond traditional antibiotics.