Super-Acne Resists Drugs

Resistant bacteria strain increasingly defies antibiotics

By Amelia Atlas, Newser User

Posted Apr 14, 2009 2:15 AM CDT

(Newser) – As if regular old zits weren't bad enough, awkward teens now have a new worst nightmare: antibiotic-resistant super-acne. Dermatologists say the bacteria that causes pimples is increasingly immune to common treatments, reports MSNBC. And while acne may not be a life-threatening condition, the frequent prescription of antibiotics to treat it can contribute to a general antibiotic resistance.

Doctors also worry these super-zits are mutating in ways that could be “passed over” to more harmful bacteria like MRSA, the super-bug behind deadly staph infections. “Which means that our only weapons against the bad guys suddenly do not work anymore,” says one doctor. "If it became bad enough, it would be like the days before antibiotics, when infection was a common cause of death.”

[Images (3)]

[Quotes (2)]

Anti-inflammatory drugs such as retinoids and isotretinoin, known most commonly by the brand name Accutane, are increasingly used in place of antibiotics. (Getty Images)

Bottles of antibiotics line a shelf at a Supermarket pharmacy August 7, 2007 in Miami, Florida. (Getty Images)

Dermatologists are relying less on antibiotics to treat acne these days, as the bacteria that leads to the formation of zits becomes increasingly more resistant to common drugs. (Shutterstock)

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The dangerous thing about putting zillions of folks on antibiotics is that this pressures bacteria to develop resistance methods. - Dr. Peter Lio, dermatologist

Acne is a really tough disease. We can make a big difference with many patients, but it’s a humbling disease; it brings people down.
- Peter Lio, dermatologist

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Super-Acne Resists Drugs