ABSTRACT
Infections caused by bacteria and parasites have historically been, and continue to be, a significant worldwide cause of mortality. It has been estimated that almost half of the world’s population is at risk of malaria, a disease that has been known for over 4000 years and is the result of infection by Plasmodium parasites. Prior to the early 1900s, bacterial infections, such as tuberculosis, typhoid fever, syphilis, bubonic plague, leprosy, and sepsis from infected wounds, were a leading cause of death. The antibiotic age brought about new treatment for bacterial infections, and the increase in life expectancy in the 20th century has been attributed, in part, to the introduction of antibiotics such as penicillin. Similar advances have been made in the area of antiparasitic drugs.
