from University of Virginia School of Medicine
Doctors try to avoid over prescribing antibiotics because of the risk of bacteria becoming resistant to the very thing intended to kill them. But researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine discovered something else may happen. They found the intestinal barrier that protects against disease was compromised and a type of immune cell, called neutrophils, are less effective in fighting infections because of antibiotics. In essence, the very product intended to help fight off disease may weaken the body’s ability to do it. Researchers say this is another important message not to use antibiotics unless they are clearly needed. The study was published in the scientific journal PLOS Pathogens.