Chapter 8, Problem 3CS

Summary Introduction

Case summary:

An infant of 4 months was suffering a slight fever for 36 hours. The mother took the child to the clinic and the pediatrician examined the child and found no symptoms of the infection causing fever. When the mother asked the pediatrician about antibiotics, he observed the child for two days and said that the unchecked use of antibiotics in medicine and agriculture has cause resistant bacteria, and the reproductive behavior of these bacteria allows them to interchange this character with other bacteria causing disease. He said that many strains of bacteria are nowadays resistant to antibiotics.

Characters in the case:

An infant of 4 months suffering with slight fever, the mother of the infant, a pediatrician.

Adequate information:

The improper use of antibiotics can cause resistant bacteria causing diseases.

To determine:

The contribution of the antibiotic to the production of resistant bacteria.