A century of anaerobes: a look backward and a call to arms

It has been a hundred years since the role of anaerobic bacteria and, especially, non-spore-forming anaerobes in infections began to be appreciated. Accordingly, it is of interest to review the history of anaerobes and anaerobic infections. The waxing and waning of interest on the part of clinicians and microbiologists over this period is noteworthy and suggests that we need to avoid complacence lest we lose much of what has been gained over the years. In this review I discuss a number of milestones marking our progress in this field and consider some areas of concern.