Possible degradation in the effectiveness of antibiotics in the treatment of human diseases

[rod hart]

Graham Shepherd wrote in message <7mnqvg$120$1 at gxsn.com>...
>Of course, overuse of these antibiotics will probably lead to the same
problem that we have with bacterial infections - eventual resistance>


The development of resistance seems marked.
One example among many would be MRSA
(methicillin resistant Staphlococcus aureus),
which shows highly developed reistance
to Vancomycin.

What I do not know is how resistance comes about.
Is it by random mutation, with resistant mutations
being favoured?

Is it a result of feedback, the bacteria in a given case
responding to changes in their environment brought
about by the presence of antibiotics
(I have not read the book Lamarck's Signature)

Or is it occurring by both of these mechanisms?

I apologise if this strays too far from the original post.


rod hart