Antibiotic Resistance

What is an Antibiotic?

Antibiotics are medicines that are used to inhibit the growth and destroy microorganisms that can affect the health of humans. Antibiotics are drugs that are prescribed to destroy bacteria and infectious agents that can cause fatal diseases. There are several bacteria that cause infections in humans that require antibiotic treatment.

What is antibiotic resistance?

Antibiotic resistantance is dangerous when organisms become unaffected by the effects of a drug. The evolution of antibiotic resistant bacteria occurred as a result of the improper use and abuse of antibiotic medication. 

Throughout the years, some bacteria have become increasingly resistant to several different antibiotics. This can be observed in bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella and tuberculosis. Bacteria are resistant to antibiotics in various ways. For example, some bacterial cell walls prevent the entry of antibiotics. The most resistant bacteria are associated with poor sanitation and are found a spread in hospitals. These bacteria can be transmitted through air and physical contact around patients.

Antibiotics are manufactured by the organisms that they aim to destroy.Throughout the past years, antibiotics have been misused since they were being used for any possible purpose or illness. As a result, many microbes have developed mechanisms to protect themselves against these antibiotics. These include enzymatic activity that disrupts and chemically modifies the antibiotic molecules. In some cases, the bacteria change the shape of the molecular target of the antibiotic so that the antibiotic no longer recognizes it and is considered to be inactive. Additionally, the resistant strains of bacteria have acquired molecular pumps that remove the antibiotic from the bacteria.

        

Bacteria can become resistant to antibiotic treatment when these drugs are not properly taken or completed by patients. As a result, the susceptible bacteria are killed while the resistant bacteria are free to reproduce, which will eventually lead to an increase in the antibiotic resistant bacteria.

Completing a course of antibiotics is very important in combating antibiotic resistance. Speak to your doctor or pharmacist for further information about antibiotic resistance.