Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria
30 February 2014
Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria: What is it, how to prevent it and who it affects?
In the United States alone, about 23,000 people die from antibiotic resistant infections yearly. It is also one of the top 15 most dangerous illnesses in the country (United States House of Representatives). Antibiotic resistance is when bacteria develops a different response to an antibiotic that is its ancestor bacteria. Slight changes in bacteria enable the antibiotic to work and successfully cause an infection without a remedy. The misuse of antibiotics is the number one cause of bacteria resistance to antibiotics (United States House of Representatives). I will talk about how bacteria develop antibiotic resistance, how it affects doctors and patients, and how to prevent immunity to antibiotics.
Since the discovery of the first antibiotic, bacteria has evolve to survive against them. According to Todar, bacteria has become resistant to antibiotics in many ways a few to mention are: natural mutation, inherit resistance, acquired resistance and vertical gene transfer .The most common cause of bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics is natural mutation (Todar,3). In natural mutation, bacteria causes changes in its own gene leading to the rejection of antibiotics that stop or slow down its propagation(Todar,3). The bacteria usually forms an enzyme and then breaks down the antibiotic (betterhealth.vic.gov).
Doctors now find it harder to prescribe antibiotics and they think twice about how they are going to medicate people (Alliance for the Prudent). Many people die from treatment because most antibiotics are not effective. The public does not know and or understand that many antibiotics that they are prescribed do not work anymore. The most common antibiotic penicillin is ineffective in certain patients (Todar, 3). Little is known about the harmful side effects of new drugs that are already in the market (Alliance for the Prudent). For this reason, more and
Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria: What is it, how to prevent it and who it affects?
In the United States alone, about 23,000 people die from antibiotic resistant infections yearly. It is also one of the top 15 most dangerous illnesses in the country (United States House of Representatives). Antibiotic resistance is when bacteria develops a different response to an antibiotic that is its ancestor bacteria. Slight changes in bacteria enable the antibiotic to work and successfully cause an infection without a remedy. The misuse of antibiotics is the number one cause of bacteria resistance to antibiotics (United States House of Representatives). I will talk about how bacteria develop antibiotic resistance, how it affects doctors and patients, and how to prevent immunity to antibiotics.
Since the discovery of the first antibiotic, bacteria has evolve to survive against them. According to Todar, bacteria has become resistant to antibiotics in many ways a few to mention are: natural mutation, inherit resistance, acquired resistance and vertical gene transfer .The most common cause of bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics is natural mutation (Todar,3). In natural mutation, bacteria causes changes in its own gene leading to the rejection of antibiotics that stop or slow down its propagation(Todar,3). The bacteria usually forms an enzyme and then breaks down the antibiotic (betterhealth.vic.gov).
Doctors now find it harder to prescribe antibiotics and they think twice about how they are going to medicate people (Alliance for the Prudent). Many people die from treatment because most antibiotics are not effective. The public does not know and or understand that many antibiotics that they are prescribed do not work anymore. The most common antibiotic penicillin is ineffective in certain patients (Todar, 3). Little is known about the harmful side effects of new drugs that are already in the market (Alliance for the Prudent). For this reason, more and
Cited: Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics. Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics, n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2014. Better Health Channel. State Government of Victoria, July 2013. Web. 18 Feb. 2014. Todar, Kenneth. Todar 's Online Textbook of Bacteriology. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2014. United States House of Representatives. U.S Department of Health and Human Services. Antibiotic Resistant Threats in the United States, 2013. Rept. no. CS239559-B. U.S Department of Health and Human Services. U.S Department of Health and Human Services, 23 Apr. 2013. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.