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Apparently, he used the word antibiotic in his 1860 book Physical Geography of the Sea and Its Meteorology​ to describe his argument against the existence of extraterrestrial life. Maury is described by Wikipedia as an astronomer, historian, oceanographer, meteorologist, cartographer, author, geologist, educator, and naval officer. But according to American doctor and medical historian Professor Howard Markel,​ it was a famous American naval commander called Matthew Fontaine Maury​ who first came up with the word almost a hundred years earlier! I always thought the word antibiotic was coined by microbiologists in the golden age of antibiotic discovery during the 1940s. The word antibiotic is widely used today to mean something that kills or stops the growth of bacteria, hence why they are not used for viral infections. It’s a variation of the Greek word biōtikos,​ which is about the ability to live. * NZ antibiotic use up sharply, raising resistance concernsĪntibiotic is the only one of the four words that doesn’t quite fit in. * Microbiologist warns of 'pre-antibiotic era' and urges action on resistance * Our time with antimicrobials is running out * World warning over antibiotics echoed in South Canterbury * Hospital superbugs increasing, NZers told: 'Not every infection requires antibiotics' Similarly, antifungals target fungi, and antiparasitics target parasites. Almost all of these do just what they say they do.Īntivirals are compounds that target viruses, for example by stopping them from being able to enter a host cell or messing with their ability to replicate their genetic material. In other words, antimicrobial is the collective name for antivirals, antifungals, antiparasitics,​ and antibiotics. So, what are antimicrobials? They are medicines which are used to prevent and treat infections in humans, animals, and plants.

This year’s theme is “Spread Awareness, Stop Resistance”. The aim of World Antimicrobial Awareness Week is to make more people aware of the global threat that is antimicrobial resistance and to encourage everyone to use antimicrobials more wisely. OPINION: This week is World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, a World Health Organisation-backed campaign that happens each year between Nov 18-24. If you’ve previously had trouble with the antibiotic, it might pay to be rechecked.