Super Bug Research Paper

Words: 842
Pages: 4

Explain the evolution of “super bugs” and the antibiotic resistance problem. Use an example.
The term ‘super bug’ most commonly refers to bacterial strains that are resistant to the chemical effects of antibiotics and detergents. Antibiotics were invented in the early 1900s and since then have been used as effective treatments in reducing the prevalence of a variety of illnesses and diseases, in both humans and animals. However by the 1980s, antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria like Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were coming about faster than new antibiotics could be manufactured. The abuse of many types of antibiotics and the natural process of mutation of bacterial genomes have led to drug-resistant bacteria becoming one of the most alarming global threats issues of the modern age. (Karp, 2010).
…show more content…
The control of diseases amongst crops and livestock is of paramount importance in this industry, not only economically but also due growing population numbers, both of which have lead to an increased usage of generic, powerfuk antibiotics in feed and on crops to keep up with demands. As a result, antibiotics and antibiotic resistance strains of bacteria not only grow in number, but can also be passed on to humans as they build up in food chains. The clinical misuse of antibiotics is the factor that has contributed the most to the issue of growing antibiotic resistance. In the 1940s and 1950s antibiotics were starting to be produced on a large scale, and ever since then they have been used as cures for diseases like pneumonia and tuberculosis. In the developed world, especially in the West, there is a tendency for doctors and other health care providers to offer antibiotics for illnesses that will either not benefit from them e.g. viral infections, or could be treated using alternative methods. This results in unnecessary levels of antibiotics being present in