Superbugs
For half a century, antibiotics have given us a powerful way to treat infections that once were life threatening. Yet, the growing number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is putting this golden era of medicine at risk. Now, we find ourselves in a race to prevent bacterial infections from once again becoming one of humanity’s major killers.
Before the advent of antibiotics, bacterial infections could be life threatening. With the discovery of antibiotics and the development of methods to mass-produce them, many bacterial infections became easily treatable. But the bacteria have fought back. Any population of organisms faced with a challenge to its survival has the potential to adapt via the process of natural selection. For example, many insects have become resistant to insecticides and many weeds have become resistant to herbicides. Similarly, some types of bacteria have responded to the increasing presence of antibiotics by becoming resistant to them. So bacterial infections may once again become life threatening. This program follows the case of an American teenager and his doctor battling against an antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection. Antibiotic resistance is then placed in a public health context by examining the large-scale fight against antibiotic-resistant tuberculosis infection in Peru. The program points out that even when treatments are available, the delivery of those treatments presents yet another set of challenges.This activity examines one process by which strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria can arise.
Your task is to watch the videos on this page and download & complete the rise of the superbugs worksheet below.
Before the advent of antibiotics, bacterial infections could be life threatening. With the discovery of antibiotics and the development of methods to mass-produce them, many bacterial infections became easily treatable. But the bacteria have fought back. Any population of organisms faced with a challenge to its survival has the potential to adapt via the process of natural selection. For example, many insects have become resistant to insecticides and many weeds have become resistant to herbicides. Similarly, some types of bacteria have responded to the increasing presence of antibiotics by becoming resistant to them. So bacterial infections may once again become life threatening. This program follows the case of an American teenager and his doctor battling against an antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection. Antibiotic resistance is then placed in a public health context by examining the large-scale fight against antibiotic-resistant tuberculosis infection in Peru. The program points out that even when treatments are available, the delivery of those treatments presents yet another set of challenges.This activity examines one process by which strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria can arise.
Your task is to watch the videos on this page and download & complete the rise of the superbugs worksheet below.
![](http://www.weebly.com/weebly/images/file_icons/pdf.png)
rise_of_the_superbugs_worksheet.pdf | |
File Size: | 1089 kb |
File Type: |