3. Drug Resistance
➢ Drug resistance is the ability of microbes such as
bacteria, virus, parasites or fungi to grow in the
presence of a chemical (drug) that would normally
kill it or limits its growth.
➢ It is the reduction in effectiveness of a drug in
curing a disease or a condition.
4. Examples of Drug Resistance
Examples of Drug Resistance are methicillin-
resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA),
penicillin-resistant Enterococcus, and
multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis
(MDR-TB).
5.
6. Factors that causes Drug Resistance
● Over-prescription of antibiotics
● Patients not finishing the entire antibiotic course
● Overuse of antibiotics in livestock and fish farming
● Poor infection control in health care settings
● Poor hygiene and sanitation
● Absence of new antibiotics being discovered
10. Key facts about Drug Resistance
● Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global
health, food security, and development today.
● Antibiotic resistance can affect anyone, of any age, in any country.
● Antibiotic resistance occurs naturally, but misuse of antibiotics in
humans and animals is accelerating the process.
● A growing number of infections – such as pneumonia, tuberculosis,
gonorrhoea, and salmonellosis – are becoming harder to treat as the
antibiotics used to treat them become less effective.
● Antibiotic resistance leads to longer hospital stays, higher medical
costs and increased mortality.
