Treatment FAQ

describe how a population of the bacterium staph aureus becomes resistant to antibiotic treatment

by Selmer Monahan Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago

Resistance mechanisms include enzymatic inactivation of the antibiotic (penicillinase and aminoglycoside-modification enzymes), alteration of the target with decreased affinity for the antibiotic (notable examples being penicillin-binding protein 2a of methicillin-resistant S. aureus and D-Ala-D-Lac of peptidoglycan precursors of vancomycin-resistant strains), trapping of the antibiotic (for vancomycin and possibly daptomycin) and efflux pumps (fluoroquinolones and tetracycline).

Staphylococcus aureus is naturally susceptible to virtually every antibiotic that has ever been developed. Resistance is often acquired by horizontal transfer to genes from outside sources, although chromosomal mutation and antibiotic selection are also important.

Full Answer

How adaptable is Staphylococcus aureus to antibiotic resistance?

Concluding Remarks S. aureusis an extraordinarily adaptable pathogen with a proven ability to develop resistance. Especially concerning is the steadily erosion in the effectiveness of beta-lactam antibiotics during a relatively brief 60-year time period.

Do antibiotics have selective pressure on Staphylococcus aureus?

Antibiotics arguably constitute the most concentrated selective pressure ever brought to bear on S. aureusin its long co-evolutionary history with mankind. The consequences of this selective pressure in conjunction with horizontal and vertical gene transfer are the subject of this review.

What is a fundamental biological property of Staphylococcus aureus?

A fundamental biological property of S. aureusis the ability to asymptomatically colonize normal people. Approximately 30% of humans are asymptomatic nasal carriers of S. aureus1, 2; i.e., S. aureusis normal flora.

How can we study the evolutionary history of Staphylococcus aureus?

Robust sequence-based molecular methods for genotyping strains of S. aureus, and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) 83in particular, have made the study of the evolutionary history of S. aureuspossible (Box 1). MLST is performed by sequence analysis of approximately 450 bp internal fragments of seven housekeeping genes.

How did Staphylococcus aureus become resistant to antibiotics?

Resistance by Mutations Staphylococcus aureus can become drug-resistant by genetic mutations that alter the target DNA gyrase or reduce outer membrane proteins, thereby reducing drug accumulation (Kime et al., 2019; Yang et al., 2019).

How do bacterial populations become resistant to antibiotics?

There are two main ways that bacterial cells can acquire antibiotic resistance. One is through mutations that occur in the DNA of the cell during replication. The other way that bacteria acquire resistance is through horizontal gene transfer.

What antibiotics is Staph aureus resistant to?

The strains of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus are most resistant to penicillin--83.1% and to erythromycin--29.9%.

What is antibiotic resistance and how does it occur?

Antibiotic resistance happens when germs like bacteria and fungi develop the ability to defeat the drugs designed to kill them. That means the germs are not killed and continue to grow. More than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur in the U.S. each year.

How do bacteria become resistant to certain types of antibiotics quizlet?

How do bacteria become resistant to antibiotics? Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria change in some way that reduces or eliminates the effectiveness of drugs, chemicals, or other agents designed to cure or prevent infections. The bacteria survive and continue to multiply causing more harm.

How did Staphylococcus aureus become resistant to vancomycin?

Strains of hVISA and vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) do not have resistant genes found in Enterococcus and the proposed mechanisms of resistance include the sequential mutations resulting in a thicker cell wall and the synthesis of excess amounts of D-ala-D-ala residues.

How does antibiotic resistance happen?

How Antibiotic Resistance Happens. Antibiotics save lives but any time antibiotics are used, they can cause side effects and lead to antibiotic resistance. Since the 1940s, antibiotics have greatly reduced illness and death from infectious diseases. However, as we use the drugs, germs develop defense strategies against them.

What bacteria break down antibiotics?

Germs change or destroy the antibiotics with enzymes, proteins that break down the drug. Example: Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria produce enzymes called carbapenemases, which break down carbapenem drugs and most other beta-lactam drugs. Bypass the effects of the antibiotic.

How did antibiotics help the world?

However, as we use the drugs, germs develop defense strategies against them. This makes the drugs less effective.

How do antibiotics fight germs?

Antibiotics fight germs (bacteria and fungi). But germs fight back and find new ways to survive. Their defense strategies are called resistance mechanisms . Bacteria develop resistance mechanisms by using instructions provided by their DNA. Often, resistance genes are found within plasmids, small pieces of DNA that carry genetic instructions from one germ to another. This means that some bacteria can share their DNA and make other germs become resistant.

What is the name of the drug that treats infections?

Antimicrobials Treat Infections Caused by Microbes. Microbes are very small living organisms, like bacteria. Most microbes are harmless and even helpful to humans, but some can cause infections and disease. Drugs used to treat these infections are called antimicrobials .

What is Gram negative bacteria?

Example: Gram-negative bacteria have an outer layer (membrane) that protects them from their environment. These bacteria can use this membrane to selectively keep antibiotic drugs from entering. Get rid of the antibiotic.

Can Staphylococcus aureus be bypassed?

Example: Some Staphylococcus aureus bacteria can bypass the drug effects of trimethoprim . Change the targets for the antibiotic. Many antibiotic drugs are designed to single out and destroy specific parts (or targets) of a bacterium. Germs change the antibiotic’s target so the drug can no longer fit and do its job.

What happens if you get infected with antibiotic resistant bacteria?

This results in an increased chance of people being infected with antibiotic resistant disease-causing bacteria, which can lead to increased complications, prolonged hospital stays and an increased risk of death.

What is antibiotic resistance?

Antibiotic resistance happens when bacteria change in a way that prevents the antibiotic from working. Changes in bacteria, known as resistance mechanisms, come in different forms and can be shared between different bacteria, spreading the problem. Bacteria and fungi naturally use antibiotics as weapons to kill each other to compete for space ...

Why is it important to take antibiotics when they are needed?

As bacteria can transfer multiple resistance mechanisms at once and can become resistant to many types of antibiotics very quickly – known as multi-drug resistance.

Why do bacteria and fungi use antibiotics?

Bacteria and fungi naturally use antibiotics as weapons to kill each other to compete for space and food; they have been doing this for over a billion years. This means they are used to coming into contact with antibiotics in the environment and developing and sharing antibiotic resistance mechanisms.

How do antibiotics kill bacteria?

Cell entry - many antibiotics need to enter bacteria to kill them. They use special holes on the bacteria’s surface to do this but bacteria can close these holes or get rid of them completely. Efflux pumps – bacteria can use these to pump antibiotics out of themselves before the drugs have had a chance to work.

Can antibiotic resistance happen inside the body?

The resistance can happen inside our body as it is the host environment for the bacteria; but the important distinction is that the body’s immune system doesn’t change – it’s ...

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