Simulating the spread of resistance to antibiotics

摘要

Low but detectable number of bacteria carrying resistant genes existed before industrial manufacturing and use of antibiotics; this is not too surprising giving that penicillin for example is produced by microorganisms (Levy 2002). The extensive use of antibiotics however generated wide spread genetic changes within the bacteria making them capable of surviving in a toxic environment. At present the frequency of resistant strains is high and reaches more than 25% in several EU member states resulting in the death of thousands of patients and enormous healthcare costs every year (ECDC/EMEA 2009).