Question

Which of the following did NOT contribute to an increase in antibiotic resistance in bacteria? Question 24 options: A) Prescribing of antibiotics for viral infections B) Addition of antibiotic to common household products, such as hand soap C) Failure by hospitals to sterilize surgical tools D) All of the above contributed to antibiotic resistance in bacteria.

Answer 1

Option D is the correct answer.

Reason :

All these factors contribute towards increase in antibiotic resistance in bacteria.

Prescription of antibiotics for viral infections is a major factor that promotes antibiotic resistance in bacteria. The reason behind is that antibiotics basically don't work on viruses, since their survival and replication mechanism is quite different from bacteria. Overuse of antibiotics makes the infection stronger instead, and contributes in increasing the resistance.

Addition of antibiotics to common household products also contributes in increasing the antibiotic resistance. The frequent application of such antibiotics enriched products leads to promotion of growth of antibiotic resistant bacterial species, while the non-resistant species are not able to thrive. The antibiotics will kill only the non-tolerant strains, allowing the survival of antibiotic resistant species, which then proliferate and replicate, causing infection.

Improper sterlisation of surgical tools also contributes to increase in antibiotic resistance in bacteria upto some extent. If surgical tools are not sterlised properly, then they will transmit the antibiotic resistant bacterial species from one patient to another. When exchange of genetic material between two antibiotic resistant species takes place, then their resultant antibiotic resistance is increased many folds, hence creating superbugs. Proper sterlization of surgical instruments ensures that no antibiotic resistant species are able to survive on it, hence preventing their transmission and further increase in antibiotic resistance.

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