Bugs and drugs

This week's BMJ is devoted to bugs—and their relationship to humans. “Adam had 'em,” and the rest of us certainly do too. In the 20th century we've made determined efforts to get rid of them, but as we approach the next millennium, bacteria are demonstrating their versatility through increasing resistance to antibiotic drugs. The prospect of a return to the pre-antibiotic era is dim but real, and the chief medical officers of Europe are concerned enough to be meeting in Copenhagen this week to develop new strategies …