For centuries, man have battled microbes in the battle for survival.Sometimes, man wins, but sometimes man lost, with dire consequences.From the old nemesises of syphilis,typhoid,cholera to the new killers of Ebola,AIDS and Legionellosis, man has fought a long battle with microbes.

In the primitive times, man lived in caves.Outbreaks of diseases were common but contained within their families. However, as man become more civillized, he started living in large cities.This was a godsend opportunity to the microbes. Now they could spread very rapidly among the city-dwellers through air, unclean water, dirty streets.The early cities did not have proper sanitation and disease- carrying pests like rats,flies and cockroaches breed quickly.Epidemics of cholera,plague were common during this time. Believing in evil spirits, people start to pray for help but to no avail.

Then the cities become cleaner.Outbreaks of diseases were reduced but no one still had a miracle cure for disease.However, vaccines become available.This is thanks to the works of Edward Jenner, who in 1796,invented the first same vaccine by injecting cowpox virus into a boy who became immune to the deadly smallpox.

Later, in 1928, Alexander Fleming, a doctor discovered that some substances produced by a mold,Penicillium inhibited the groth of bacteria colonies growing in the sam agar plate as the mold. He called the substance penicillin and found it could cure blood poisoning,boils, gonorrhea and other deadly diseases. Penicillin became the first antibiotic and was used in World War II to cure battle wound.Streptomycin, another antibiotic was found to cure TB in 1943. Soon man believed all diseases could be cured as more antibiotics were discovered.

He was wrong. Bacteria started to develop resistance to the antibiotics, rendering them useless. New deadly microbes were discovered in the 20th century, eg: Ebola, which causes bloody fevers and AIDS which directly destroys the human immune system. Hence, mankind is still fighting a battle with the microbes which inhibit Earth.

From this website , you will find out more about some famous diseases.v

Alexander Fleming

(discoverer of penicilin)