Emerging Diseases

What Are They? Emerging Diseases refers to diseases which have rapidly increased their rate of incidence in humans Can be Novel or Re-Emerging

Antibiotic Resistance

an·ti·bi·ot·ic – “Against Life” Use Antibiotics to fight bacterial infections Two Types: - Bactericidal - Kill Bacteria Ex: Penicillin - Bacteriostatic - Limit growth and reproduction ability by Ex: Tetracyclines (such as Doxycycline– Lyme Disease)

Antibiotic Resistance- Why Becoming more and more prevalent Why – Human Practices: Overuse – Antibiotics are over-prescribed. Ex: used for flu or common cold, but these aren’t illnesses that antibiotics can treat. The more often bacteria are exposed to antibiotics, the more likely they are to become resistant. Resistance can take as little as 20 minutes because of how quickly bacteria can spread.

Antibiotic Resistance - Why Patients feel better after a few days and therefore don’t finish their pills. This means that the more resistant bacteria are left to reproduce – Selection (“Survival of the Fittest”)

Antibiotic Resistance: How Resistance Acquired through: – Genetic Mutation: Usually, antibiotics bind to enzymes and block bacterial DNA replication. However, genetic mutations that don’t allow the antibiotics to bind with enzymes can occur, which frees the bacteria to replicate.

Antibiotic Resistance - How Destruction – Bacteria produce enzymes which effectively destroy antibiotic before it even reaches cell Efflux – Channel that pumps antibiotic out of cell

Antibiotic Resistance - How Genetic Transfer – Conjugation Plasmid (which often carries antibiotic resistant genes)duplicates itself and transfers to another bacteria. – Transformation When cells die, some DNA becomes “free-floating.” Bacteria can attach itself to this DNA and acquire any antibiotic resistant genes that may be present in it – Transduction Bacterial DNA that is inside a virus transfers to other bacterial DNA, taking previously-infected genes along with it.

Consequences of Resistance People are sicker for longer People with weak-immune systems are even more susceptible to illnesses Infections become virtually untreatable $20 billion extra spent annually in United States on resistant bacterial infections (2009)

Sources Photos: References: "Antimicrobial Chemotheraphy." Medical Microbiology. Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Web. 19 Oct "Antibiotic-Resistant Infections Cost the U.S. Healthcare System in Excess of $20 Billion Annually." PR Newswire [Boston, MA] 19 Oct. 2009: n. pag. Web. 19 Oct "Antibiotic Resistance- An Emerging Public Health Crisis." The Basics: Antibiotic Resistance. Keep Antibiotics Working, Web. 19 Oct Merck Manual Home Edition. "Antibiotics: Infections." The Merck Manual of Medical Information. Merck, Sept Web. 19 Oct "Animation of Antimicrobial Resistance." Antimicrobial Resistance. US Food and Drug Administration, Aug Web. 19 Oct