Guest editorial: Antibiotic alternatives – it's only natural

Abstract

A paradigm shift in the treatment of infectious diseases is necessary to prevent antibiotics becoming obsolete – where appropriate, alternatives to antibiotics ought to be considered. There are already several non-antibiotic approaches to the treatment and prevention of infection, including probiotics, phages and phytomedicines. Complementary and alternative therapies are viewed favourably by many patients; they often feel that conventional therapy is not working and they believe that there are fewer detrimental side-effects with a more natural approach. Many report significant improvement while taking complementary and alternative medicines.