antibiotics

Fact Sheet No 194May 1998 ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCEAntimicrobial agents (antibiotics and related medicinal products) are among the wonder drugs of the twentieth century. They have transformed our ability to treat many infectious diseases that were previously killers. However, through massive and increasing use of antimicrobials in humans, animals, fish and in agriculture, a resistance problem has been created that is rapidly moving to the forefront of public health concerns.CausesMicrobes (bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses) are responsible …

…resistant to certain antibiotics. When a small dose of antibiotics is applied to a colony of bacteria, all the cells not resistant are killed or inhibited, while the resistant cells remain strong. The resistant cells then proceed to thrive and multiply, passing down their resistance to their offspring. In addition, these bacteria spread their resistant traits to other, previously non-resistant cells through the methods mentioned above (transformation and conjugation), thus eventually affecting the entire colony.