7.6: Antimicrobial Resistance
Antimicrobial resistance refers to the adaptation of pathogens (microbes) to the current best treatments we have available for them. Antibiotic resistance can happen in bacteria, antifungal resistance in fungi, antiviral resistance for viruses, and antiparasitic resistance for parasites (worms) - although the most concerning examples are currently in bacteria and fungi. Resistance to drugs occurs when the microorganism has adapted to the way that the drug works to inactivate or kill the pathogen. Sometimes this occurs when other, healthy bacteria have also been killed off due to the treatment, allowing harmful bacteria to proliferate. These pathogens can then become extremely difficult or impossible to treat (CDC, 2022c).