OSAKA -- The ability of pneumococcus bacteria -- the cause of pneumonia, inflammation of the middle ear and meningitis -- to resist antibiotics has been steadily increasing, according to a joint study conducted by Kinki University and 12 other medical institutions in western Japan.
The overuse of antibiotics is the main reason behind the increased level of resistance, according to the study.
The institutions also confirmed the existence of strains that are resistant to a variety of drugs, indicating that infections caused by pneumococcus are becoming more difficult to treat.