My Antibiotic is not working because…

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My Antibiotic is not working because…
The burden of bacterial infections is on the rise across the globe. Most of the microorganisms that cause these infections have been found to have become resistant to multiple antibiotics which kill them. Antibiotic resistance occurs when pathogenic bacteria are able to flourish and survive when exposed to antibiotics. Bacteria acquire this resistance through genetic changes, for instance, mutations.
Bacteria can become resistant to antibiotic drugs through various mechanisms. First, it is vital to note that some bacteria naturally resist the impacts of antibiotics as this resistance is a natural phenomenon. Besides, others are able to undergo genetic mutation and generate strains that increase their fitness in presence of antibiotics and thus have a greater chance of surviving. The changes in genetic material make them lose susceptibility to a particular or multiple antibiotics. Moreover, bacteria can also become resistant through acquiring drug-resistant genes from other microorganisms. This can involve the transfer of DNA pieces from one pathogen to another.
The society can limit antibiotic resistance by taking several actions. Singh et al. argues that one of the major causes of this resistance is the inappropriate use of antibiotics (p.2). Therefore, people should take these drugs only when necessary as this will reduce their use. According to Hollis and Maybarduk, a globally coordinated response is crucial in addressing this issue.

Governments should introduce national awareness campaigns on the use of antibiotics. This problem is also caused by inadequate access to effective antibiotics, and so it is important to increase their accessibility to all settings. Again, a new generation of antibiotics should be developed.
Different strains of bacteria including Escherichia coli can be tested for resistance against various antibiotics. For instance, a bacterial sample of Escherichia coli taken from a person can be tested for its resistance on ampicillin by exposing the bacterial sample to increasing doses of the drug. It the bacterium continues to divide and thrive, then it shows it is resistant to the drug.
Works Cited
Hollis, Aidan, and Peter Maybarduk. “Antibiotic Resistance Is a Tragedy of the Commons That Necessitates Global Cooperation.” Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, vol. 43, June 2015, pp. 33–37. doi:10.1111/jlme.12272.
Singh, Ashish Kumar, et al. “Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance in Commensal Escherichia Coli among the Children in Rural Hill Communities of Northeast India.” PLoS ONE, vol. 13, no. 6, June 2018, pp. 1–15.