Won't use the E-word

The Sunday Chicago Tribune had a major article on antibiotic resistant bacteria and lack of incentives to seek new antibiotics. They quoted several experts and kept using phrases like "bacteria develop resistance", then it dawns on you, the one word to describe the whole thing is not being used; evolution. Bacteria develop resistance is a very misleading phrase. A very small number of bacteria out there in the bacterial universe will have some genetic difference that provides them with resistance to a particular antibiotic substance. But it matters not, and these bacteria may not even be as vigorous as those without the resistant genotype. This all changes when a population of bacteria encounters an antibiotic which exerts very strong selection in favor of any bacterium with genetic resistance because it kills all the rest. Antibiotic resistant bacteria are becoming more common because of the use and misuse of antibiotics. The more we use them, the more resistant strains are selected for. When first discovered antibiotics were treated as a magic bullet against infections, and at first they sure seemed that way. But physicians don't study evolution, and many don't even think it's a valid theory so deficient is their biological background, and this lack of understanding created the problem. People even demand antibiotics to treat viral diseases when they only work on bacteria, thus demonstrating a double dumbness. So now humans are in an evolutionary arms race with bacteria. Have no doubts about who will win; the odds greatly favor the bacteria. Here is a case where the biology behind the story is simply lacking, and we're left wondering if it's because the "experts" and/or the journalist just don't get the concept, or if the newspaper is just afraid to use the e-word for fear of offending the biologically ignorant. Those of us who are experts at explaining biology would surely explain it differently.