Microbial-Caused Diseases and Antimicrobial Drugs
CHAPTER 1
Introduction and Its Background
Introduction
Infectious diseases are one of the main contributors to global mortality and morbidity. Infectious diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi. These diseases can be spread, directly or indirectly, from one person to another. Vaccines, antibiotics, and many other advances have lessened the impact of infectious diseases. Unfortunately, this has not been true everywhere. It has not been true in many developing countries. Infectious diseases remain the major causes of morbidity and mortality in much of the world because new illnesses caused by microorganisms continue to emerge. Moreover, known pathogens are becoming resistant to treatment. Some pathogenic microbes that had been "controlled" through the use of antibiotics are beginning to develop drug resistance and therefore re-emerge as serious threats in the industrialized world as well as developing nations. (World Health Organization, April 2014). Staphylococcus aureus strains are emerging that are resistant to many of the antibiotics that were previously effective against them. These staph infections are of great concern in hospital settings around the world. Patients with infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria are generally at increased risk of worse clinical outcomes and death, and consume more healthcare resources than patients infected with the same bacteria that are not resistant. The need for new antimicrobial agents is becoming one of the most urgent requirements in modern medicine (World Health Organization, April 2014).
As a result, researchers are investigating alternative ways for developing better treatment for microbial-caused diseases one of which is based on natural compounds found in the venom of various scorpions species.
Scorpion venom has been used as traditional and folk therapy in various pathophysiological conditions. Scorpion venom is a complex mixture of salts, neurotoxins,
Introduction and Its Background
Introduction
Infectious diseases are one of the main contributors to global mortality and morbidity. Infectious diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi. These diseases can be spread, directly or indirectly, from one person to another. Vaccines, antibiotics, and many other advances have lessened the impact of infectious diseases. Unfortunately, this has not been true everywhere. It has not been true in many developing countries. Infectious diseases remain the major causes of morbidity and mortality in much of the world because new illnesses caused by microorganisms continue to emerge. Moreover, known pathogens are becoming resistant to treatment. Some pathogenic microbes that had been "controlled" through the use of antibiotics are beginning to develop drug resistance and therefore re-emerge as serious threats in the industrialized world as well as developing nations. (World Health Organization, April 2014). Staphylococcus aureus strains are emerging that are resistant to many of the antibiotics that were previously effective against them. These staph infections are of great concern in hospital settings around the world. Patients with infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria are generally at increased risk of worse clinical outcomes and death, and consume more healthcare resources than patients infected with the same bacteria that are not resistant. The need for new antimicrobial agents is becoming one of the most urgent requirements in modern medicine (World Health Organization, April 2014).
As a result, researchers are investigating alternative ways for developing better treatment for microbial-caused diseases one of which is based on natural compounds found in the venom of various scorpions species.
Scorpion venom has been used as traditional and folk therapy in various pathophysiological conditions. Scorpion venom is a complex mixture of salts, neurotoxins,