Fifty Percent of Latinos Using Antibiotics Erroneously

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A new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that most Latinos believe antibiotics can treat a cold—Fox News reports.

Fifty percent of Hispanic adults believe antibiotics are the cure for a cold or flu compared to 25 percent of the general population—“even though most cold are viral and antibiotics don’t’ work against viruses.”

“We know from other research that cultural factors can influence health-related knowledge and attitudes,” said lead author Dr. Louise K. Francois Watkins of the CDC.

For this study, the CDC analyzed data collected from a national internet survey “collected from participants living in the U.S. in 2012 and 2013, comparing surveys of more than 7,000 U.S. consumers in general to another set of surveys directed at 1,000 Hispanic consumers.”

Using antibiotics incorrectly according to experts may cause more harm than good—helping bacteria become more resistant and killing important healthy bacteria in the body.