Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Flashcards
Why can bacteria evolve rapidly?
bacteria can evolve rapidly because they reproduce at a fast rate
What do mutations of bacterial pathogens produce?
mutations of bacterial pathogens produce new strains
How does antibiotic resistance in bacteria develop?
bacteria reproduce at a fast rate
mutations of bacterial pathogens during reproduction produce new strains (mutations during reproduction can result in new genes e.g. gene for antibiotic resistant)
exposure to antibiotics creates a selection pressure as those with antibiotic resistant will be resistant to antibiotics and so are not killed and those without antibiotic resistant die
they survive and reproduce so the population of the resistant strain rises
the resistant strain will then spread because people are not immune to it and there is no effective treatment
Example of bacteria resistant to antibiotics?
MRSA is resistant to antibiotics
‘superbug’ as it is resistant to many dif. types of antibiotics
Where is MRSA common?
MRSA is common in hospitals
spreads when doctors and nurses move to different patients
How do you reduce the rate of development of antibiotic resistant strains?
doctors should not prescribe antibiotics inappropriately e.g. treating non-serious or viral infections
patients should complete their course of antibiotics so all bacteria are killed and none survive to mutate and form resistant strains
the agricultural use of antibiotics should be restricted - farmers currently use antibiotics to prevent their livestock dying from disease, this overuse leads to antibiotic resistant bacteria which are then transferred to humans when they consume meat
specific antibiotics should be given to specific bacteria
How can you slow the transmission of bacteria?
maintain high standards of hygiene in hospitals
medical staff and visitors should wash hands regularly
medical staff should wear disposable clothing or clothing that is regularly sterilised
What is the development of antibiotics like?
the development of new antibiotics is costly and slow
unlikely to keep up with the emergence of new resistant strains
