The ability of bacteria to survive or continue multiplying despite exposure to an antibiotic that would normally inhibit or kill them.
Antibiotic resistance arises from genetic changes or acquisition of resistance genes that alter how bacteria respond to antibiotics. Resistant bacteria can survive treatment and multiply, making infections more difficult to treat.
Resistance can develop and spread through natural selection, mutation, and exchange of genetic material between bacteria. Antibiotic use creates selection pressure that can favor resistant bacteria.
QUICK FACT
People do not become antibiotic-resistant; bacteria do. A person can, however, carry or become infected with resistant bacteria.
COMMONLY CONFUSED WITH
Antimicrobial Resistance: the broader term covering resistance in bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, and other microorganisms; antibiotic resistance specifically concerns bacteria and antibiotics.
SEE ALSO