Evolutionary theory predicted that bacterial resistance to antibiotics would evo

Question

Evolutionary theory predicted that bacterial resistance to antibiotics would evolve. Given time and sufficient heritable variability, living organisms (including bacteria) will evolve when a selective pressure (like an antibiotic) is introduced. But evolutionary theory also gives doctors and patients some specific strategies for delaying even more widespread evolution of antibiotic resistance. Some of these strategies are given below:

A.Don't use antibiotics to treat viral infections.

B.Avoid mild doses of antibiotics over long time periods.

C.When treating a bacterial infection with antibiotics, take all your pills.

D.Use a combination of drugs to treat a bacterial infection.

E.Reduce or eliminate the "preventive" use of antibiotics on livestock and crops.

For each strategy, give a justification based on your knowledge of bacteria and evolution, why this strategy would reduce the transmission of antibiotic resistance.

Explanation / Answer

A.Don't use antibiotics to treat viral infections:

Antibiotics usually work on bacterial infections. They can reduce symptoms created by viral infections but cannot kil viruses.

B.Avoid mild doses of antibiotics over long time periods:

Taking mild doses of antibiotic for a long period gives resistance since all the bacteria may not be killed due to the mild nature of the antibiotic

C.When treating a bacterial infection with antibiotics, take all your pills:

If the patient stops taking pills in the middle of a course, all the bacteria in the body may not have been killed. This allows a few bacteria to escape. These later gain resistance against that particular antibiotic.

D.Use a combination of drugs to treat a bacterial infection:

A combination of drugs makes sure that the treatment is effective and also ensures that the bacteria do not gain resistance to one single drug.

E.Reduce or eliminate the "preventive" use of antibiotics on livestock and crops:

By simply adding antibiotics to animal feed, we are not preventing the occurrance of the disease, WE are only giving the bacteria a chance to gain resistance against that antibiotic. Antibiotics can be given to animals only when needed and not otherwise

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