Superbugs by Ethan Cha https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet The Evolution of Drug-Resistant Bacteria en-us 2018-05-22 13:30:31 UTC 2024-10-26 00:13:24 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Hearts.png Causes of The Evolution of Drug-Resistant Bacteria ejcu4 https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet/wish/263342316 One of the biggest causes of the emergence of these "Superbugs" are the overuse of unnecessary antibiotics. Antibiotics is one of the most commonly prescribed drugs. Antibiotics are effective on only bacterial infections and are ineffective to viral infections yet they are still prescribed as a "go-to" drug to cure anything. When patients take antibiotics when not needed, they kill off the healthy bacteria that help the human develop and stay healthy. Another main cause of superbugs is through the meat industry. Meat companies want to keep their meat as cheap as possible to maximize profits so they have their animals in close quarters and in terrible living conditions. This set-up is the perfect breeding ground for antibiotics so they give their animals antibiotics keep the animals from getting sick. This also causes overuse and lead to easy adaptations by bacteria. Another ability that bacteria have is called gene transfer. This is where bacteria can pass on immunity genes on to other bacteria which cause a spread of superbugs as well.]]> 2018-05-24 13:27:18 UTC https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet/wish/263342316 Superbugs Overview ejcu4 https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet/wish/263342757 Superbugs are a strand of bacteria that are resistant to several antibiotics. The most common of superbugs is the MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). This particular superbug is resistant to almost all antibiotics and can only be treated through very powerful drugs. Bacteria are one of the oldest forms of life and they have adapted and survived for a long time and developed many different mechanisms. They have survived many different extreme environments and antibiotics are just another one of them. Infections from MRSA can turn deadly within a few days. As Antibiotics are used, they kill off the sub population that is not resistant to antibiotics and leave behind the stronger bacteria which live to pass on the gene that helped them survived in the antibiotics. These bacteria are able to reproduce in an antibiotic environment. Over time as people keep on taking antibiotics when not needed, bacteria can continue to adapt and thrive.]]> 2018-05-24 13:28:16 UTC https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet/wish/263342757 Effects of The Evolution of Drug-Resistant Bacteria ejcu4 https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet/wish/263342988 According to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) more than 2 million people are infection by superbugs and 23,000 are killed every year in the US. As a result of these antibiotics, bacteria have developed different phenotypic and genotypic mechanisms to resist different types of antibiotics.

Phenotypic Mechanisms of Resistance
  • The bacteria can change its cell wall to so that the antibiotics cannot penetrate it.
  • Bacteria can produce different enzymes to dispose of the antibiotics before they can function properly
  • Some bacteria are able to utilize a mechanism called efflux pumps. These "pumps" can eject the antibiotics from the cell before they are able to function properly.
  • Bacteria can alter its target site to make it impossible for the antibiotic to bind to the bacterial cell.

Genotypic Mechanisms of Resistance
  • Changes to the DNA can result in alterations in the final proteins or enzymes, which in turn can lead to antibiotic resistance
  • Bacteria can acquire small strands of DNA called plasmids of transposons which can code for a antibiotic-inactivating enzyme which can destroy an antibiotic before it has time to properly function.

]]> 2018-05-24 13:28:48 UTC https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet/wish/263342988 Possible Solutions and Future of Medical Research of Superbugs ejcu4 https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet/wish/263343196 Some possible solutions include the overall reduction of the use of unnecessary antibiotics. We can slow down the spread of drug-resistant bacteria if we only take antibiotics when needed and not as a "go-to" drug for everything including viral infections which they are ineffective on. Antibiotics are ineffective against viral infections but are still prescribed for viral conditions such as colds or the flu. Also the use of these antibiotics stretch to animals. They are using them with little cause making the adapting easier for these bacteria. Vancomycin used to be the last resort antibiotic but its use has been skyrocketing. As the frequency of the use of vancomycin rose and it became the first choice of antibiotic, bacteria have been able to learn how to defeat it. 2 cases of vancomycin-resistant strains of bacteria was documented which may cause a "major medical crisis if that strain were to spread" (Daum). The latest antibiotic that companies have been developing is Zyvox but even this has developed resistance within 4 years. The estimated additional medical costs $20 billion. But as companies continue to think outside the box on these medical issues, it could cost taxpayers additional money. The government may resort to paying these companies to develop new antibiotics. But "faster diagnostic testing offers one of the best hopes for treating infectious diseases. Technology is catching up and new research in this area looks promising." (Fowler) He believes that the development of new antibiotics will outweigh the continuous adapting of these bacteria. Another solution they have come up with are bacteriophages. These are bacteria-killing viruses that help get rid of harmful bacteria. In the future this may be the only way to kill the sugerbugs as the superbugs gets more powerful.]]> 2018-05-24 13:29:14 UTC https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet/wish/263343196 Stop the Spread of Superbugs ejcu4 https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet/wish/263360793 2018-05-24 14:12:38 UTC https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet/wish/263360793 Articles and Resources for More Information ejcu4 https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet/wish/263361133 2018-05-24 14:13:27 UTC https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet/wish/263361133 Final Project Research ejcu4 https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet/wish/263361806 2018-05-24 14:15:19 UTC https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet/wish/263361806 How is Antibiotic Immunity Acquired? ejcu4 https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet/wish/263361984 2018-05-24 14:15:45 UTC https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet/wish/263361984 Super-Resistant Superbugs ejcu4 https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet/wish/263362686 2018-05-24 14:17:42 UTC https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet/wish/263362686 Superbugs ejcu4 https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet/wish/264243269 2018-05-29 13:10:27 UTC https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet/wish/264243269 The Antibiotic Apocalypse Explained (Video) ejcu4 https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet/wish/264253139 2018-05-29 13:38:56 UTC https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet/wish/264253139 ejcu4 https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet/wish/264255171 2018-05-29 13:44:13 UTC https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet/wish/264255171 ejcu4 https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet/wish/264257923 2018-05-29 13:51:48 UTC https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet/wish/264257923 ejcu4 https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet/wish/264259574 2018-05-29 13:56:41 UTC https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet/wish/264259574 ejcu4 https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet/wish/264265339 2018-05-29 14:14:44 UTC https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet/wish/264265339 Rise of the Superbugs ejcu4 https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet/wish/264265573 2018-05-29 14:15:22 UTC https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet/wish/264265573 The Virus That Kills Drug-Resistant Superbugs ejcu4 https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet/wish/264267076 2018-05-29 14:20:09 UTC https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet/wish/264267076 Bibliography ejcu4 https://padlet.com/ejcu4/superiorpadlet/wish/265059152 “How Is Antibiotic Immunity Acquired?” Scientific American, www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-is-antibiotic-immunit/.
Leung, Rebecca. “Super-Resistant Superbugs.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 2 May 2004, www.cbsnews.com/news/super-resistant-superbugs/.
“Stop the Spread of Superbugs.” National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 14 July 2017, newsinhealth.nih.gov/2014/02/stop-spread-superbugs.
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