NATS 1670 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Emerging Infectious Diseases, Tuberculosis
25 Mar 2014
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
In 1880 the major cause of death was infectious diseases. 63% were killed by bacteria and infectious diseases. Bacteria was the leading cause of death in teenagers in the 1880s. As better sanitation, vaccines and antibiotics play a role in society, life expectancy goes up. Today we can prevent and treat diseases better than ever. Infectious diseases as a group will not disappear: drug-resistant strains: there are more and more bacteria that are becoming resistant to the drugs that are trying to prevent and fight them. 000 americans every year: outbreaks of existing diseases, new disease-causing agent. Low concentration of antibiotics provides a selective advantage for the resistant bacteria. Drug sensitive killed by exposure to the drug: fast evolution selective pressure. If you are using antibiotics in a low concentration u r going to kill the drug sensitive bacteria cells. As soon as drug resistant mutants start to take over your body, antibiotics cannot work.
