6. Antibiotic resistance (B1.1.2 How our bodies prevent themselves against infectious diseases)

Question 1

What has overuse and inappropriate use of antibiotics increased?

Answer 1

The rate of development of antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria.

Question 2

Why do individual resistant pathogens survive?

Answer 2

Antibiotics kill individual pathogens of the non-resistant strain only.

Question 3

Why does the population of the resistant strain increase?

Answer 3

Individual resistant pathogens survive and reproduce.

Question 4

What produces new strains?

Answer 4

Mutations of pathogens.

Question 5

Why have many strains of bacteria developed resistance to antibiotics?

Answer 5

As a result of natural selection.

Question 6

Give example of a resistant strain.

Answer 6

MRSA.

Question 7

What should we do to prevent further resistance arising?

Answer 7

It is important to avoid over-use of antibiotics.

Question 8

Why is the rate of development of resistant strains slowed down now?

Answer 8

Now, antibiotics are not used tp treat non-serious infections, such as mild throat infections.

Question 9

Why does a resistant strain spread rapidly?

Answer 9

Antibiotics and vaccination may no longer be effective against a new strain of the pathogen.
People are not immune to it and there is no effective treatment.