How Can Resistance Affect Our Health?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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These bacteria may infect humans and animals, and the infections they cause are harder to treat than those caused by non-resistant bacteria. Antibiotic resistance leads to

higher medical costs, prolonged hospital stays, and increased mortality

.

What were the consequences of resistance?

The disease consequences of resistance should be assessed according to the morbidity and mortality rate due to antibiotic- resistant organisms. It can be assumed that resistant microor- ganisms lead to an

increase in morbidity and mortality

since resistance increases the risk of inappropriate therapy.

What is super resistance and why are they a major problem for human health?

Superbugs are

strains of bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi that are resistant to most of the antibiotics and other medications commonly used to treat the infections they cause

. A few examples of superbugs include resistant bacteria that can cause pneumonia, urinary tract infections and skin infections.

What are the cause and effect of antibiotic resistance?

When bacteria become resistant, the original antibiotic can no longer kill them. These germs can grow and spread. They can cause infections that are hard to treat. Sometimes they can even spread the resistance to other bacteria that they meet.

What is the resistance to infection?

Resistance is defined as

the ability to limit pathogen burden

while tolerance is defined as the ability to limit the health impact caused by a given pathogen burden. The sum of these two mechanisms defines a host’s defensive capacity.

How do bacteria develop resistance?

Ways that Bacteria Acquire Resistance

One is

through mutations that occur in the DNA of the cell during replication

. The other way that bacteria acquire resistance is through horizontal gene transfer.

What is the impact of treating resistance bacteria?

Bacteria, not humans or animals, become antibiotic-resistant. These bacteria may infect humans and animals, and the infections they cause are harder to treat than those caused by non-resistant bacteria. Antibiotic resistance leads to

higher medical costs, prolonged hospital stays, and increased mortality

.

What are the biggest health issues the antibiotic misuse and antibiotic resistance pose?

Resistance to even one antibiotic can mean serious problems. For example: Antibiotic-resistant infections that require the use of second- and third-line treatments can harm patients by causing serious side effects, such as

organ failure, and prolong care and recovery, sometimes for months

.

How can we solve resistant bacteria?

To help fight antibiotic resistance and protect yourself against infection:

Don’t take antibiotics unless you’re certain you need them

. An estimated 30% of the millions of prescriptions written each year are not needed. Always ask your doctor if antibiotics will really help.

Why Antimicrobial resistance is a global concern?

Why is antimicrobial resistance a global concern?

The emergence and spread of drug-resistant pathogens that have acquired new resistance mechanisms, leading to antimicrobial resistance, continues to threaten our ability to treat common infections

.

What causes drug resistance?

The main cause of antibiotic resistance is

antibiotic use

. When we use antibiotics, some bacteria die but resistant bacteria can survive and even multiply. The overuse of antibiotics makes resistant bacteria more common. The more we use antibiotics, the more chances bacteria have to become resistant to them.

What are some possible consequences to humans and animals as a result of the overuse of antibiotics?

For both people and animals, the misuse and overuse of antibiotics can lead to the

growth and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria

. This may lead to infections that are resistant to antibiotic treatment.

Who is affected by antibiotic resistance?

Antibiotic resistance can affect

any person, at any stage of life

. People receiving health care or those with weakened immune systems are often at higher risk for getting an infection.

What is resistance to disease or poison?


Mithridatism

is the practice of protecting oneself against a poison by gradually self-administering non-lethal amounts.

What are two main ways to improve resistance to infection?

  1. Don’t smoke.
  2. Eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables.
  3. Exercise regularly.
  4. Maintain a healthy weight.
  5. If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation.
  6. Get adequate sleep.
  7. Take steps to avoid infection, such as washing your hands frequently and cooking meats thoroughly.

What factors have an impact on a person’s resistance to infection?

Our

age, sex, infection history, and genetics

can affect our immune system and make us more prone to disease.

Why do disease causing organisms become resistant to the drugs used to control them?

How do bacteria become resistant to antibiotics? Antibiotic resistance occurs when

bacteria change in some way that reduces or eliminates the effectiveness of drugs, chemicals, or other agents designed to cure or prevent infections

. The bacteria survive and continue to multiply causing more harm.

How does antibiotic resistance affect natural selection?


Antibiotic resistance is a consequence of evolution via natural selection

. The antibiotic action is an environmental pressure; those bacteria which have a mutation allowing them to survive will live on to reproduce. They will then pass this trait to their offspring, which will be a fully resistant generation.

How does transduction cause antibiotic resistance?

These phages can transfer DNA from one bacterium to another, through a process known as genetic transduction. This is thought to be the major means by which

bacteria evolve and acquire the antibiotic resistance and virulence factors that accelerate the emergence of new and progressively more pathogenic strains

.

What are the most common antibiotic-resistant diseases?

  • methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
  • vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE)
  • multi-drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MDR-TB)
  • carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) gut bacteria.

What are the consequences of improper use of antibiotics?


Some germs that were once very responsive to antibiotics have become more and more resistant

. This can cause more serious infections, such as pneumococcal infections (pneumonia, ear infections, sinus infections, and meningitis), skin infections, and tuberculosis.

How do you stop antimicrobial resistance?

  1. Reduce antibiotic use in human medicine. …
  2. Improve animal antibiotic use. …
  3. Fix the broken antibiotic market. …
  4. Ensure adequate funding for stewardship and innovation. …
  5. Continue international focus.

What are the types of drug resistance?

Antimicrobial resistance mechanisms fall into four main categories:

(1) limiting uptake of a drug; (2) modifying a drug target; (3) inactivating a drug; (4) active drug efflux

.

Emily Lee
Author
Emily Lee
Emily Lee is a freelance writer and artist based in New York City. She’s an accomplished writer with a deep passion for the arts, and brings a unique perspective to the world of entertainment. Emily has written about art, entertainment, and pop culture.