Untreatable infections?--The challenge of the 21st century.

The triumph of antibiotics over bacterial pathogens that has occurred in the latter half of this century looks increasingly threatened as we approach the new millennium. Increasing resistance in important pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Shigella, and Streptococcus pneumoniae threatens the lives of millions. The increasing problems with drug resistance in (C. diphtheriae, Salmonella typhi and the pneumococcus in Vietnam are presented as examples of the challenge confronting tropical countries.