Antibiotics: The Role Of Antibiotic Resistance In Bacteria

Picture waking up and taking your prescribed antibiotics and discovering they are no longer working? This is an antibiotic you rely on for your health. Sadly this is becoming a reality for many individuals. Simple infections are becoming harder to treat due to antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance has caused a major health issue around the world. As bacteria continues to adapt, it has become more difficult for antibiotics to properly treat infections. Antibiotics are prescription medications that help fight against bacterial infections. Higher levels of antibiotic resistance are transpiring due to improper usage of antibiotics (U.S. Food and Drug Administration [FDA], 2012). Antibiotic resistance happens when an antibiotic can no longer properly eliminate bacterial or microbial growth (Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], April 2015). This occurs when bacteria adapt in a manner that limits the effectiveness of the …show more content…
Even though some bacteria are innately unaffected by certain antibiotics, the main ways bacteria become resistant to antibiotics are by obtaining resistance from different bacteria or by mutation (Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics [APUA], n.d.). As studied in class, mutations alter genetic makeup. Varying genetic mutations generate multiple types of resistance (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases [NIAID], 2011). Bacteria can also obtain resistance genes from other bacteria. Additionally, viruses are another way bacteria can obtain resistance traits (CDC, April 2014). The more resistance traits the bacteria acquires, the more resistant the bacteria can become to different antibiotics (APUA, n.d.). Persistent use of antibiotics causes more antibiotic resistance. It is imperative to be smart with antibiotic usage, and not consume antibiotics for viral infections. Insuring proper utilization of antibiotics will help control antibiotic