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Drug Resistance Rising Among Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Cases

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Drug Resistance Rising Among Mycobacterium tuberculosis Cases

Abstract
Drug resistance has been increasing among patients infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Previous miracle drugs that were used in the 1950s have now been proven useless in many cases simply because the bacteria are not susceptible to antibiotics such as isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide, etc. when they are taken. This pathogen is easily transmitted through air and has the capability of attacking the respiratory system and creating fatal consequences if not treated properly. A lot of people who contribute to the antibiotic resistant statistics are those that do not take medication accordingly. Even though the bacterium may not be resistant at first, it can …show more content…

In many cases, Mycobacterium tuberculosis usually develops because of inconsistent consumptions of drugs. Most of the time, most people don’t even know they are infected until symptoms occur because this pathogen is easily transmitted through air exchange (Medline Library, 2005). Although this pathogen usually remains inactive even when it is in the immune system, it becomes
Drug Resistance
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active once the immune system becomes weakened where the once quiescent bacterium has multiplied and has developed in the lungs and has begun destroying lung tissue (Encarta, 2005). Although bacterium may not be antibiotic resistant at first, it can become resistant by mutating and changing its genetic structure and in turn, reproducing rapidly (Davies, 1999). When this happens, it signifies that one’s body has become antibiotic resistant, in which particular drugs no longer function properly and no longer does its job correctly.
Microbiologists believe that Mycobacterium tuberculosis becomes antibiotic resistant when it exchanges genes with other already resistant bacteria because bacteria mutate and spread rapidly within hours. There are three forms of gene mutations categorized as conjugation, transformation, and transduction. Conjugation permits the transfer of DNA from one cell to another whereas transformation occurs when a cell decays. While its cell wall falls apart, the inner genetic makeup becomes available to other

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