Where does resistance to antimicrobial compounds come from?

Answer 1

Blame the medical profession for this one! It's the blatant overuse of antibiotics that are the culprit & the slap happy prescribing by GPs for every little ailment. It's a shame as antibiotics did have a good place in medicine & should only have been used for real emergency situations - however, as always, medicine gets its teeth into something & flogs it to death - literally!

Answer 2

Resistance usually occurs due to a gene mutation (a change in the DNA of the microbe). This can happen at any time - as can gene mutations in people. In the case of resistance to antimicrobials, the antimicrobials kill the 'regular' microbes leaving the 'mutated' microbes behind, these then carry on growing in the presence of the antimicrobial which then prove harder to kill.
MRSA is an example of antibacterial resitance, the staph bacteria can usually be killed by general antibiotics but over use (especially in hospitals) has led to a strain that is resistant to all but the strongest antibiotics.

Answer 3

The more antibiotics are used the more problem there is. Currently it is estimated that in UK 50-85% of all antibiotics used in humans are unnecessary. Farming use has dropped a bit in Britain but is high in many of the 'new' EEC countries. Veterinary miss use is massive.

When a group of bacteria are exposed to an antibiotic 99% of them die. The 1% or less that remain were already naturally resistant to the antibiotic by chance. The patients recover but the few resistant organisms enter the world's ecosystem, and breed more resistant offspring. When faced with the same antibiotic the whole group is resistant this time.

Answer 4

The above answers cover the subject very thoroughly. The mani culprit is overprescrption or, in countries where over the counter abs are sold, overuse.

It is amazing how many of my patients will come into the surgery and immediatley demand an antibiotic. They tell me what is wrong with them and the correct pill to prescribe. And guess what, they are almost always wrong! Antibiotics work only against bacterial infections and not against: coughs; colds; flu; backache (yes, really); candida; athletes foot; toothache (unless due to acute infection); squillions of other ailments that either get better on their own or need more specialised treatment.

If only people would exercise, eat right and maintain a reasonable level of personal hygiene I could have much longer holidays!

Answer 5

Resistance happens when taking the wrong antimicrobials or not finishing the whole course of the antibiotics.

Answer 6

If some bacteria are completely or partly resistant to an antibiotic and someone takes it and leaves off midway, the resistant bacteria thrive and overcome the susceptible ones. They proliferate. Resistance is also by means of small structures called plasmids. Plasmids carrying small quantities of an antibiotic enter bacteria, which then become resistant to that antibiotic. Antibiotics are also present in animal feed. Human beings ingest them in animal meat and become resistant.

Answer 7

it comes from when ppl take antibiotics for something they don't have. that is why there is an antibiotic crisis today. especially in children. parents want the best for their children, so they ask the pediatrician for antibiotics when their child may only have a viral infection. the doctor only prescribes it because a) he has no time to argue b) the patient is always right and c) he gets more money to prescribe meds.

so yea, thats why so many bacteria are resistant, and it is getting much worse.

Answer 8

"Resistance stems from misguided efforts to try to sterilise our enviroment"