Antibiotics have provided mankind with the means to efficiently treat many common bacterial infections. However, massive use of antibiotics has increased the occurrence and spread of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.
The rise and spread of resistant bacteria
Antibiotic resistance is the ability of bacteria to protect themselves against the effects of an antibiotic. In the presence of the antibiotic, resistant bacteria will survive and increase in numbers. From a clinical perspective, resistance means that a bacterium can grow in the antibiotic concentrations that are reached during standard therapy. Consequently, the use of that antibiotic will most likely result in treatment failure.
Bacteria have two alternative pathways to acquire all types of resistance:
- Random changes in the bacterial DNA (mutations) may provide resistance by chance
- Transfer of genetic material from one bacterium to another – also known as horizontal gene transfer.
If a resistance mechanism gives an advantage to the bacterium, it may be maintained and passed on to coming generations as the bacterium divides. It could also be passed along by horizontal transfer.
Resistant bacteria can spread via many routes, for example in food, water, by traveling and through trade. Find out more details about emergence and spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria in the sections that follow. The subject is further explored in How did we end up here?
Selected Resources
| Resource | Description |
| Rise of the Superbugs | Video. This narrated and animated video explains more about bacteria in general and the problem of antibiotic resistant bacteria in particular (7 min). |
| What causes antibiotic resistance? | Video. This animated TED-Ed video gives an overview of how antibiotics function, how bacteria evolve to resist their action and how selection of resistant bacteria works (5 min). Also available in Spanish. |
| Antimicrobial resistance | WHO explains what Antimicrobial Resistance is, presents the current situation, as well as the existing actions globally. |
| Antibiotic resistance has a language problem | Journal article discussing the use of correct terminology when talking about antimicrobial resistance. You can read more about this topic in this study: Existing terminology related to antimicrobial resistance fails to evoke risk perceptions and be remembered |
| AMR dictionary | Online dictionary that covers all the commonly used terms and phrases related to antimicrobial resistance. Available in several languages including English, French, Spanish and Malayalam. |