The Growing Global Threat Of Antibiotic Resistance Ielts Reading Answers Verified ^hot^ < HD 2026 >

C. The misuse of antibiotics is widespread. In many parts of the world, these drugs are available over the counter without a prescription, leading to self-medication and inappropriate usage. Furthermore, antibiotics are heavily used in agriculture to prevent disease in livestock and promote growth. This agricultural use accounts for a significant portion of global antibiotic consumption, creating a reservoir of resistant bacteria that can be transmitted to humans through the food chain.

These "renegade" bacteria then multiply rapidly, sometimes increasing their numbers a million-fold in a single day. Resistance can also spread through , where bacteria share genetic material with their neighbors. This creates "superbacteria" or "superbugs" that are increasingly difficult to treat with modern medicine. Key Drivers of the Global Threat Furthermore, antibiotics are heavily used in agriculture to

highlights how bacteria evolve resistance faster than new drugs are developed, driven largely by the misuse and overuse of antibiotics in humans and livestock Resistance can also spread through , where bacteria

Claim : Antibiotics are sometimes used only to prevent infections. . Resistance can also spread through

The scale of the threat is alarming. A landmark 2016 UK review commissioned by the government predicted that by 2050, antibiotic-resistant infections could cause 10 million deaths annually – more than cancer currently does. Already, drug-resistant tuberculosis, gonorrhoea, and hospital-acquired infections like MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ) are challenging to treat. In low- and middle-income countries, poor sanitation and weak healthcare systems exacerbate the spread of resistant bugs.