Antibiotic Resistance: Mechanisms
The biological mechanisms by which organisms become resistant to antibiotics vary depending on the organism. Bacteria can become resistant through genetic mutation or genetic transfer.
If bacteria with resistant genes are exposed to antibiotics, the antibiotics will kill the susceptible bacteria, allowing the resistant ones to survive and multiply. If these antibiotic-resistant bacteria result in an infection, the infection may be more serious and difficult to treat with routine antibiotics.
The following diagram shows how misuse of antibiotics (not finishing a prescription or taking antibiotics for a viral infection) causes antibiotic-resistant bacteria to multiply.
Not completing a course of antibiotics can lead to antibiotic resistance:
Day 1: A person is sick with a bacterial infection.
Antibiotics are prescribed, susceptible bacteria are killed.
Day 4: Person feels better and stops taking antibiotics...
...meanwhile resistance and susceptible survivors multiply.
Day 14: The infection is not cured and is harder to treat.
Taking antibiotics for a viral infection can lead to antibiotic resistance:
A person is sick with a viral infection.
Antibiotics are taken for a viral infection.
Susceptible bacteria are killed by the antibiotics, but the resistant bacteria and the viruses survive.
The immune system fights off the viruses while the resistant bacteria multiply waiting for an opportunity to cause infection.
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