Which statement about antibiotics is correct?
A) Antibiotics are used to treat all transmissible diseases.
B) Antibiotics are used to treat diseases caused by viruses.
C) Antibiotic resistance can be stopped by increasing their use.
D) Antibiotics are used to treat diseases caused by bacteria.
▶️ Answer/Explanation
Ans: D
Antibiotics specifically target bacterial infections (D), not viral diseases (B) or all transmissible diseases (A). Increasing antibiotic use (C) actually promotes resistance rather than stopping it.
Option D is correct because antibiotics work by inhibiting bacterial cell processes (e.g., cell wall synthesis) without affecting viruses or other pathogens. The other options either overgeneralize their use (A, B) or misrepresent resistance (C).
Which factors would increase the chance of antibiotic resistance developing?
- regularly giving antibiotics to healthy livestock
- only using antibiotics to treat bacterial infections
- using several different antibiotics to treat an infection
- using good personal hygiene to avoid infection
A) 1 and 2
B) 1 and 3
C) 2 and 4
D) 3 and 4
▶️ Answer/Explanation
Ans: B
Antibiotic resistance develops when bacteria are frequently exposed to antibiotics, allowing resistant strains to survive and multiply. Factor 1 (antibiotics in healthy livestock) promotes resistance by exposing bacteria unnecessarily. Factor 3 (using multiple antibiotics) can lead to resistance if treatment is incomplete or misused.
Factor 2 (targeted use) and Factor 4 (hygiene) reduce resistance. Thus, the correct combination is 1 and 3 (Option B).