Antibiotic Resistance

Antibiotic resistance is a phenomenon that occurs when bacteria develop the ability to survive exposure to an antibiotic. This can be caused by mutations, which allow the bacteria to survive despite exposure to an antibiotic, or through horizontal gene transfer, when bacteria transfer genes that convey antibiotic resistance to other bacteria. Antibiotic resistance is a serious and growing public health concern, as it takes away our ability to fight against bacterial infections. The result is that infections we were once able to treat easily become increasingly difficult to treat, and in some cases, they become untreatable. To prevent the spread of antibiotic resistance, it is important to use antibiotics wisely and to take measures to reduce the spread of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.