The origins and molecular basis of antibiotic resistance

[diego yañez]

Summary points
Antibiotic resistance should be defined in terms
of clinical outcomes, not laboratory methods
Resistance occurs by means of four main
mechanisms—more than one may be present in a
single bacterium
Resistance mechanisms have probably evolved
from genes present in organisms producing
antibiotics
Resistance genes occur not only in bacteria that
carry disease but also in commensal bacteria, to
which we are continuously exposed and which are
found in food, the environment, and animals
The plethora of genetic mechanisms for evolution
and reassortment of antibiotic resistance genes
ensures that useful genes will be disseminated
rapidly
Action must be taken to slow the rate of evolution
and spread of antibiotic resistance genes, in which
the biggest single factor is the amount of​

antibiotics used in human, veterinary medicine and agriculture.

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